Desert Rose
by Sorceress Fantasia
Summary: Prince Duo is trapped in a magical castle by his overprotective father. All hell breaks loose when a young boy by the name of Heero Yuy barges in by mistake. Discontinued.
1. The Nightmare's Beginning

Title: Desert Rose Prologue: The Nightmare's Beginning 

Author: Sorceress Fantasia 

Pairing: 1+2, 3+4, 5+M, 5+?, 13x6 

Warnings: Slight angst, evil Relena and Hirde, unsympathetic Trieze, OC 

Archive: http://www.gwaddiction.com/levlair/index3.htm

Disclaimers: I may own a lot of things, but the GW guys aren't included. So yeah, the characters do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun. 

Once upon a time, there was a king called Treize. He had a wife, Zechs, whom he loved dearly and a son, Duo. Treize loved both of them more than he did so himself, so when Zechs passed away, he was devastated. All the love he had for his dear wife was now showered upon Duo. Therefore, he felt that his son should get only the best things in life, and he gave his son everything he wanted. However, the death of his beloved caused him to be afraid, not to mention burn a fuse in his mind, that he would lose Duo the way he lost Zechs. He wanted to keep his son safe and sound forever. So, a castle was built in the middle of the desert under his orders. 

This was no ordinary castle. It was constructed by the best architects and designed by the one of the best interior designers in the entire kingdom. Apart from that, it also had a spell cast on it by the powerful sorceresses Relena and Hirde. The spell caused the castle to disappear and appear at random spots in the desert, and it was seen only as a mirage. The only way to get in was to break the spell with your own magic. Moreover, the castle was protected by many mystical creatures that could break all your bones if you tried to get near. The natural barrier and protection of the desert made it even harder to get into the castle. And so our dear Prince Duo was locked up in the castle. 

Prince Duo wasn't happy with the plans. Not a bit. In fact, he was so bitter and upset about it that he tried escaping on several occasions. But all were futile attempts. Finally, King Treize decided to have the two sorceresses cast a spell on his son as well. The nature of the horrible spell was that Duo could never leave the castle that was meant for him. Otherwise, he would die by the next sunrise. It was cruel, but it would at least keep the prince in the castle. And now, he thought, he would be able to keep Duo by his side forever. Yet, King Treize never expected the way things would turn out… 

Sorceress Fantasia @ 18th April 2000 

Last revised 4th September 2000 


	2. Destiny Awaits

Title: Desert Rose Part I: Destiny Awaits 

Author: Sorceress Fantasia 

Pairing: 1+2, 3+4, 5+M, 5+?, 13x6 

Warnings: Shonen-ai, slight angst, evil Relena and Hirde, unsympathetic Trieze, OC 

Archive: http://www.gwaddiction.com/levlair/index3.htm

Disclaimers: I may own a lot of things, but the GW guys aren't included. So yeah, the characters do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun. 

It was morning. Prince Duo woke up as the sunshine shone brightly into his room. He stretched his body fully, and a jaw-splitting yawn formed on his handsome features. 'Another day's passed.' He thought. 'Time really flies. It's been five years since I've been here.' The young prince sighed. It had really been a long time. Of course, Duo had grown to like the place as time went by, but it didn't make him feel any happier. He still longed for the day where he could get away from this gigantic prison his father had built for him. For him, exclusively. 'I'm sooo flattered.' He rolled his eyes in disgust. 

He wanted love; to love someone, and be loved by someone. Someone other than his father. But how was it possible, when he was trapped? In a place where the nearest civilization was… gods knows where it is. Ok, maybe Relena and Hirde knew, but there was absolutely no way of them telling him. Well, even if they did, Duo still had no chance of getting away, with the horrible spell on him. He felt like a caged bird, with broken wings that did not allow him to fly at all. No freedom, no nothing. He didn't even have a real playmate! 

Except when Relena and Hirde managed to take some time off from their busy schedule. They visited him whenever they could, providing him with the things he wanted, physically and mentally. Supplies were brought in by them, and they entertained the prince with their magic spells. However, visits by Relena were occasional. Not that he minded all that much. Relena was the serious type when it came down to work. A little *too* serious, as Duo would say. *He*, was the complete opposite. Without a doubt, he could be diligent when he wanted to be, but he always preferred having fun to politics. She was even the minister of peace, self-appointed by the King. Not only because she was good at that type of things, but also because of the fact that she was Zechs' adopted sister, which makes her his aunt. However, Duo called her by her name and never treated her as his aunt, because Relena wanted to keep her relationship with Zechs a secret. Otherwise, her powers would seem to be a gift from him, rather than self-effort. However, when she did come, she would bring him the things he really wanted: letters from the King and less important things like the latest happenings in the kingdom. You could even say that she was Duo's newspapers. 

Visits from the other sorceress were somewhat more frequent and enjoyable. The two teenagers shared the same interest, and often played games together. Sometimes, it was a simple game of chess, or even tag. Other times, she taught him some simple spells that enabled him to light up a fireplace. Hirde supplied him with everything he wanted and needed, be it toys, clothes or right down to a tiny toothbrush. Apart from that, she was his friend. Duo enjoyed himself very much every time she came. However, they were times when he felt pretty awkward around her. Those were the times when Duo felt that Hirde was drilling a hole in his back with her extremely conspicuous stares. The young sorceress seemed to have an interest in him, and he dreaded when she would say it. Not that he didn't like her or anything. It was just that she wasn't exactly what he wanted in a mate. Sister? Maybe. Lover? Forget it. Women are such fragile creatures. Both pride and body easily bruised. 

The King visited as often as he could as well. However, his heavy chores made it rather difficult. So, Duo saw his father only about once every few months. Before, whenever he arrived, Duo resorted to everything, from whining to begging, in hopes that his father would release him. Everything. He even went down onto his knees once, and begged him whist crying. That was something the prince absolutely hated. Abandoning his pride and go onto his knees. That was so undignified. Unfortunately, the king was the kind of people who would not waver once they had their minds set on something. He was stubborn as a mule. Heck, even a mule would have to reign second with him around! Thus, nothing Duo did was successful. However, that was a long time ago. Even Duo had grown tired of his techniques and began to resign to his fate. 

Fortunately, the guards in the castle provided another form of company. Well, when he wanted to listen to some music, there would always be musically-inclined Quatre. His violin or piano had proved to an excellent entertainment, and sometimes, a great cure for his insomnia. For aerobics, there was always Trowa. His dexterous skills never failed to enthrall Duo. And sometimes, Duo had his shared of fun when he engaged himself in a debate of justice with Wufei. He had his 'guardian' too, although she was better known as his elder sister who took care of him in ways others could not. There were his horses too. Five of them, in total. But they were always so involved with each other that Duo felt uneasy with them in the same room. Sometimes, he wondered if his friends considered him to be a lone wolf. 

The rest of the time he spent them alone. He hated the silence, as though it were eating him from the inside. Slowly, to get rid of the problem, he started to talk to himself, or to nobody in particular. He just spoke to the walls that surrounded him. Duo hated the ennui. 

As Duo walked to the bathroom to wash up, he silently mused. Would he ever get out, or would he remain in the castle until the day he died? 

***** 

Heero cursed the world for his bad luck. Curses he had never thought one could conjure came fluently now. If he had a grain of sand for every curse he uttered, the desert would most certainly double in size. He briefly recalled the incident that led to his troubled, pathetic state now. 

***** 

*Flashback* 

His eyes widened at the find, ecstatic that he had found a pure white stallion in the woods. When the animal turned to face him, Heero could see the silent power in its eyes. So full of vigor and strength. It would surely make an excellent mount. If he could managed to tame it… Heero walked up to it gingerly and attempted to stroke its long mane. He made it a point to come from it at its side, so as to avoid a killer kick if the action were to anger the animal. However, it did not resist or object to the show of affection at all. Instead, it nuzzled Heero's head playfully and neighed softly. It was love at first sight. 

Heero immediately led it home, near the woods. And it followed in his trail obediently like a perfectly tamed horse. Heero didn't even have to pull it. Its pace was slow as it trotted alongside Heero. Reaching home was quick; it took less than ten minutes of walk. There, the horse was put into a stable made of the shabbiest of wood that looked as though it would tumble down at the slightest provocation. Heck, even a sneeze could bring it down. 

"It's a little cramp here, but it'll have to do, little fella." He smirked at it. He was right. It had to do. He didn't have the money to enlarge it or anything. Heero wasn't a rich man; in fact, he was merely a poor woodcutter's son who was now alone, having mourned for his father's demise a few weeks ago. 

As a result of isolation, Heero didn't have any friends at all. Not one. Yet, he still had that emptiness in his heart that yearned to be filled by company. And now, the creature in the woods filled that empty void. A name was given to it: Wing. 

Heero spent all his time with Wing, after he finished his everyday chores. The two grew closer by each passing day. Heero told Wing everything about himself, his dreams, desires and hopes for his future. He poured his heart and soul in taking care of the beautiful snow-white animal. Heero was contented and happy, for he had finally found a friend, and he was pretty sure that Wing felt the same. However, one particular sighting caused him to doubt his assumption. 

Wing had been standing alone on the open area in front of Heero's small wooden cabin. Its eyes were distant, as though looking for something. It gazed out to the sunset, eyes glimmering brightly. If Heero didn't know better, he could have sworn he saw Wing shed a single tear. But horses didn't cry. Or… did they? 

Soon, it became customary for Wing to do the same every evening. It would just stand at the same spot, swing its tail mournfully, staring at a place far, far away. So far that it was out of reach. 

Heero felt his heart bled. There wasn't any way that he could help his only friend. Well, there was *one* way. Let Wing go. But he hated the idea, because it would mean losing his one and only companion and it was highly impossible that he would meet another horse as intelligent and humane as Wing. Or even another animal. Most probably the other animals would serve to be his food, or kill him for food. It was a vicious cycle. 

As days went by, Wing's condition worsened. Sometimes, he refused to eat anything, even though Heero had fed him with his favourite food. Other times, it would neigh loudly, and trash wildly. Not even Heero could stop him, calm him down. Slowly, Heero realised that he was hurting Wing by keeping him. As much as he hated to admit that, he *had* to let him go. This, he fathomed well. 

For the next few days, he treated Wing the best he could. He gave him the best of food, the cleanest of water, the most comfortable bath among many other things. Heero wanted to spend as much time with Wing as possible before he let it go, for it was unlikely that they would meet again. 

Finally, the day arrived. The day to let Wing go. Heero sat himself carefully on the horse, and leaned to whisper in his ear, "Wing, I'm letting you go. Go home, back to where you really belong. You have to, for your own sake. But let me ride you one last time. Please." Then he sat straight and tightened his grasp of the reins. He spoke again, "C'mon Wing, let's go." Wing, having heard the command, started to move slowly. 

At first, the ride was slow-paced and relaxing. However, when a neigh was heard in the distance, the ride became frightening. Wing dashed so fast that Heero was hanging on for his dear life. He wrapped his arms around his mount's neck, having abandoned the reins a long time ago as they weren't strong and securing enough to ease Heero's throbbing heart. It wasn't long before they ended up in a place Heero had never seen before. A desert. And he had come from the woods. To the best of his knowledge, Heero was very certain that there weren't any deserts within a hundred kilometers from his cabin. Just how far had Wing brought him? Only God himself knows. 

*End of flashback* 

*** 

Heero sighed tiredly. What was he going to do now? He leaned forward to Wing's ear and whispered, "Wing? What's wrong with you today? C'mon, take me home." 

However, the creature ignored him completely, as though he had not heard Heero's words. He continued to trudge on in the endless desert that seemed to be white as a result of the sun's glare. A lost traveler in the midst of a huge white desert. 

The Wing today was not the Wing he knew. The… creature he was riding on now was a complete stranger. Wing would never ignore him. For the umpteenth time for the past three hours, Heero sighed tiredly. 

As he did so, Wing suddenly started to speed up. Heero could almost hear the warning: "Fasten your seatbelts, everyone! Or you'll end up as meat sauce somewhere on the road! Best of luck to you, mister!" His speed increased steadily, then finally broke into a run. Heero vaguely wondered if he had bought any life insurance. And just where are those damn uniformed creatures when you need them? As before, Heero clung onto Wing's neck for his dear life. For what seemed like hours, Wing finally started to decelerate. He then stopped all of a sudden, almost enough to throw Heero overboard. 

Still dizzy from the ride, Heero tumbled down. "Others get car-sick, I get horse-sick." He uttered, rather amused by himself. He shook his head vigorously to rid himself of his dizzy spell and clear his mind, then he got to his feet slowly. "Where am I?" 

As if to answer his question, a majestic castle appeared before him. It looked arcane, and even a little archaic. A mysterious and magical aura surrounded the stone structure. He could feel knowledge and wisdom swirl around the place. It was the results of utmost hard work and technology, Heero was adamant. 

Heero stared in awe. He rubbed his eyes. He couldn't believe it. Civilization was just in front of him?! In the middle of a desert?! Crap, his eyes were beginning to play tricks on him. Opening his eyes, he expected to see nothing but sand in front of him, or even his own wooden cabin. The castle was there. He rubbed his eyes again, with increasing force. The castle was still there. 

Just as he was pondering what to do next, Wing trotted beside him and neighed softly. Gazing into Heero's cobalt blue orbs, he seemed to know how to go on. He slipped behind his friend and started to nudge Heero, pushing him forwards. Heero resisted, "Hey, careful little fella. We can't just barge into some strange buildings we see in a desert… Well, we could, provided if I have my bag of explosives right now…" 

Hearing that, Wing sweatdropped. Regaining his senses, he pushed harder and Heero began to slide forwards. "Hey, watch it, Wing." 

At that, Wing got fed up with Heero, "Shut up! We're going in and that's the end of the story." 

Heero's jaws fell apart and his eyes widened as though they were saucers. "You… you… you… can… ta… talk?!" He stammered. 

"I'll talk more later when we can afford it, mister. Let's just get into the castle now." 

*** 

Heero stared in awe at the exquisite and exotic decorations. He had never seen such a beautiful place in his entire existence! Plain white candles lit up the otherwise dark hallways, and while they were simple in design, the candlestick holders were anything but that. They had the most complicated and delicate carvings around their sides. Wing had just led him through a garden that housed a remarkable myriad of flowers. It was only a garden, but it was even larger than Heero's hut and the stables put together. "Oh my god…" He kept mumbling. "Are you sure we can come in here, Wing? This doesn't seem to be some…" 

Suddenly, as if on cue to answer his question, a dark shadow appeared at the corner of the corridor. And before he knew what was happening, a hideous monster materialized and whizzed passed them, before the darkness enveloped it once again. 

…ordinary place." Heero finished with something that sounded vaguely like a squeak. 

Wing let out an exasperated huff of air and assured him, "Don't you worry. Since I got you here, I will most certainly take full responsibility for your safety. If you die, I'll die with you. And right now, I have a very strong desire to live. Satisfied?" 

Heero nodded grimly. He finally understood the dangers that lurked in here, and that leaving his mount would probably lead to his ultimate demise. But he knew he could trust Wing. *Knew*, being the operative word here. He wasn't so sure of him now. 

Seeing his response, Wing added, "This is…" 

"Wing!" A voice rudely interrupted his words. The white stallion whipped his head around to see who was approaching. He bellowed menacingly, in case of an attack. Suddenly, a blonde boy materialized out of nowhere and landed gracefully in front of them. 

A grin – if that were possible for a horse- broke over Wing's face. He cried, "Quatre!" Trotting gingerly, he pulled Heero with him to his friend. 

The boy smiled angelically in reply. "It's been long time, Wing. Where did you run off to? All of us missed you so much, especially you-know-who!" He teased with mock anger, standing arms akimbo. 

Wing answered, a little sheepishly, "Gomen. I just carried out our ultimate plan for Duo." 

"By Allah... You mean you actually did it?" He asked in surprise. Then he eyed Heero suspiciously. "So that," He pointed a finger at the boy, "is your result for almost half a year?" 

Heero felt anger at those words. It made him feel as though he were some… some piece of experimental guinea pig. Well, maybe he was. He didn't know. 

Then to his surprise, Quatre spoke again, "I think he looks fine. Personality wise, well, I don't know about that. You do have the weirdest of taste, and I don't always agree with you on such things. I just hope you know what you are doing." 

Wing gave a triumph laugh and answered, "C'mon. Trust me. Duo is our master, and a kind one at that. I won't do anything stupid or hurting to him." Then, he neighed a little and stomped on the stone floor, his hooves crashed loudly, as though his cue to stop the conversation. "Enough of this Quatre. I want to present him to Duo now." 

Before Quatre could reply, Heero butted in rudely. "Matte. Prince Duo? You mean the prince who was locked up in a mystical castle five years ago? The son of King Treize and the deceased Queen Zechs?" His voice dripped clearly with shock and amazement. 

Wing turned to look at him. "Yea, that's right. You know him?" 

Heero nodded. "Who doesn't? Everyone in the kingdom has heard about him and his imprisonment." He blinked. "Why did you bring me here, Wing? It's illegal! I can get executed for this!" 

The stallion let out an exasperated huff. "To let you befriend him. Prince Duo is very bored and he is in dire needs of some company. The thing is, he wants new friends. Seeing our faces *only*, for full five consecutive years is kinda boring and it's getting on his nerves." He sighed, tail whishing dejectedly. "So I took it upon myself to go out and help him to find a suitable friend, since he can't do so himself. I was resting in the forest that day, when you stumbled upon me. After I found out that you actually have a knack for taking care of horses, I decided to give you a try, since our prince loves horses too. The rest is pretty much history." 

The blonde boy shook his head mentally in disapproval. That wasn't exactly the truth. He never liked lying a lot, and certainly not to an innocent boy. But in his mind, he fathoms the need for it. 'A white lie, that's all. It won't hurt anybody. We'll tell him the truth one day, when the time is ripe.' 

Wing's voice brought him back. He was explaining something to Heero again. 

"So you see, I want you to meet my true master now. Come with me." He then proceeded to drag Heero along with him. 

Heero shook him off, his temper flaring. "Chotto matte. You mean I can't even choose for myself?" Heero growled. He felt like some idiot that was being led into some trap. He hated the fact that he was fooled by Wing, supposedly his only friend. He also resented the fact that he wasn't given a choice. It was as though he was a piece of chess in a game, and he wasn't given the freedom to move where he wanted to. His route had been pre-decided by someone else. 

Quatre frowned, stepping forward. "That's not possible, you know. This castle itself is fraught with dangers that no human, with the exception of the prince and us, his servants, can survive. Monsters, mazes, magical creatures and mystical powers will prevent you from wandering far and escaping. Even if you do, by chance, get out of the castle, you will have to face the harsh elements outside alone. Do not forget the fact that we are, after all, in the middle of a vast desert." He reminded sympathetically. "And since you know Prince Duo's tale, you probably know that the castle appears only in random spots of this desert. Considering the size, I won't be surprised if you end up in another country." 

Wing consoled the poor boy. "C'mon. This place ain't not all that bad. Besides, you don't have any other family 'cept me. Stay with me here, along with my other friends. I promise you that you will enjoy our company." Then he slapped a hoof on the cold stony ground to emphasize his point, and also a cue to let Heero stop asking such questions. 

Heero almost pouted. "I take that as a 'no'." 

Wing and Quatre promptly nodded. Silence reigned as the cobalt-eyed boy contemplated his current state. The blonde boy broke the uneasy cessation of sound finally, after what seemed like hours. "Erm, I think it's better to let Heero meet the others first before we present him to Prince Duo. We should gather their opinions and then decide whether to let them meet." 

Wing shrugged. "It's fine with me. Besides, I wanna see the guys too. It's been some time." 

"Glad you know that." Quatre said with pseudo-annoyance. "Alright, let's go to the stables. They are most probably there now." 

*** 

The ride to the stables was short, but it was enough to let Heero consider several issues. 'The stables? Are there more horses like Wing? Horses that can actually outtalk humans? Supposedly the cleverest being on earth? That is amazing…' 

An acrimonious neigh broke him out of his stupor. It sounded like Wing, but more delicate and sharp. Suddenly, a pure black horse flashed out from nowhere. Landing right in front of him, who was currently riding on Wing, it turned on fierce eyes at them. However, after taking a closer look, he noticed that it was focusing on Wing instead of him. And those eyes looked as though they were hurt and wistful. Heero found himself involuntarily cringing at the diamond-hard gaze. Wing cleverly took a step back as well. 

The black horse advanced, and its hooves made deafening sound as they clattered with the ground. Then it burst out like a volcano, "WING! What did you think you were doing? Leaving me behind? You heartless creature!" From its voice, it wasn't hard to guess that it was a female. And from her words, she probably had *a lot* to do with the white stallion. 

Wing squeaked, his voice strangled, "Shini." 

She countered, venom dripping from her voice, "You still remember me?" From the looks of it, she was *really* mad. If looks could kill, Wing was sure that he would be sporting some fairly serious injuries by now. He gulped. 

"Course I do. I'll never forget you, Shini." Wing replied nervously. He knew that her wild mood swings were scary. "Simmer down. I just went out for a while to fulfill our plan for Prince Duo. It's your idea anyway." 

At this, the black horse seemed to cool down a little. "Plan?" With a critical eye, she observed Heero warily. "Is he the one? Are you sure about that?" 

Wing shrugged. "I dunno 'bout that. I just know that Heero here has what Prince Duo likes in a friend. I was just going to bring him to see him, but Quatre suggested coming to see you guys first." 

Quatre took that as a cue to step forward and end the charade. "Right. C'mon Shinigami, let's proceed to the stables." 

She nodded, and turned away. Wing quickly shoved Heero off his back and went after her. However, she seemed to enjoy giving him the cold shoulders. 

Quatre placed an arm on Heero's shoulder and sighed amusedly, "Don't mind them, they're always like that. That black horse is Shinigami, Prince Duo's personal and favourite mount. By now, you should be able to guess her relationship with Wing." 

"Lovers?" 

He merely nodded. "Enough talk about this. I'll tell you more when we see the rest." 

*** 

When they got to the stables, Heero almost died of a heart attack. The stables were crafted beautifully and skillfully. Suddenly, he felt as though the stable he owned was like the results of a kid's futile attempt at Lego. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted Wing tagging behind Shinigami, looking somewhat desperate as he tried and failed to get her to talk with him. The female black horse snorted, and kept walking around in circles, determined to frustrate her mate for abandoning her all those months ago. Heero could see that she was rather successful. 

"C'mon Shini~! I sprinted back as soon as I heard you call outside! You should ask Heero just how fast I went! Man, I'm sure I beat some really good records!" He whined. Shinigami merely ignored him, but Heero could almost see the slight twitch at the corners of her mouth. 

Just then, another horse came into the scene. It appeared to be yellowish, and intelligence shone within his eyes. "It's ok, Shini. Stop being so mean to Wing. He's just trying to please you, that's all! Didn't you miss him a lot? You kept chanting his name in our ears until we almost had to restrain you. Now that he's back, you start pushing him away?" 

Shinigami hissed, "Sandrock!" 

Wing snickered, then walked up to his mate and nuzzled her neck lovingly. "Suminasen. I won't do it again. I promise." 

Quatre smiled at the lovey dovey. Those two horses seemed to have made kiss-and-makeup into an art. "You two get into the stables later, ok? Now's not the time. Get the others here first." 

The two horses blushed furiously. Then the ebon animal pouted while Wing galloped off to find the rest of his friends. After a brief moment, they were all gathered in front of Heero. 

"This is Heavyarms." Quatre introduced, pointing to a mount with reddish-orange fur. It had an air of a mustang of the wild lands, the epitome of freedom and wildness. At the mention of its name, it gave a curt nod. "And that is Trowa, his master." The brown banged boy took a careful step forward, and like his horse, merely nodded. 

"And that is Shenlong with his master, Wufei." A boy with ebony hair stroked the mane of his fiery-red horse, protesting weakly, "Quatre, how many times must I remind you. It's not Shenlong. It's Nataku." The mount nodded vigorously in agreement. 

"Fine. Gomen, Wufei." Quatre apologized. Then he whirled around. "This horse right here is mine. His name is Sandrock." 

The horse smiled a little. "Nice to meet you." Heero nodded in reply, then he was gently led away by Sandrock as the rest began their discussion. 

"Can he do it? He's so… quiet. You know how Duo hates that." Wufei reminded. It was a well-known fact that the prince, a lively and active person, despised silence most of the time. That was the reason for their presence. To entertain him. 

"I beg to differ. He may not talk much, but he's got a way of communicating without words. His actions speak louder than any words you may have." Wing countered effortlessly. He had, after all, known Heero for a few months already. And being the boy's one and only friend, he became the sole receiver of those feelings lavished. Even then, he never spoke much because as he himself had said before, Heero's actions spoke louder than any words. Love was in the little things. 

"I think it might work out. You see, since Duo is the active and loud one, and Heero is the quiet and more reserved one, they make up for what the other lacks. Take magnets, for instance. Like poles repel but different poles attract. They balance each other." Shinigami rationalized. 

Nataku nodded thoughtfully. "I understand what you're worried about, Wufei. But Shini's right. It's possible." 

"Wufei's worries are right. We should be more careful when handling Duo. If we should hurt his feelings accidentally, it might scar him for life. After all, his heart has been weak and fragile since his imprisonment. He can't withstand any more pain." Trowa remarked. 

Quatre sighed wistfully as he recalled the first year of Duo's life here. He was like a porcupine that hurt everyone within his reach with his invisible quills, regardless of friend or foe. He barked, snapped and chided anyone who tried to talk to him. At the peak of his anger, he fought with the monsters that roamed the castle. Since they were designed to protect and not hurt the young prince, they were unable to fight back and many died, from the merciless punches and kicks delivered to their bodies. Sometimes, Duo would zap them with his magic. There had been a period where he got so agitated that he tried to kill himself with his magic, which was, quite fortunately, very weak. Ultimately, the sorceresses had to suppress his powers, rendering them quite useless. It wasn't even enough to kill a rat now. Everyone soon learnt to give in even more, understanding his bitterness. Eventually, Duo got tired of living his life that way, and made a change for the better. "I know that. But if we don't do something soon, I'm afraid worse things will happen. It was by a quirk of fate, and pure luck that Wing found someone. Usually the castle never appears near civilization. He was able to come back safe and sound too, a feat where no one else has ever achieved. This castle is isolated, Trowa. It's almost impossible to come back after you leave, unless you have a entry charm." 

"I heard Shini's voice, and she guided me back here." Wing admitted sheepishly. The black mount smiled slightly, and leaned in close to snuggle against her mate tenderly. 

"Minna-san!" Wufei cleared his throat to get everyone's attention back at him. "But he's a male! Are you trying to imply that Duo is homosexual?" He retorted again. He suddenly felt a possessive anger over his prince. Over the years, the Chinese boy had learnt to accept Duo as the brother he never had, and he was determined to protect and shield his otouto from all unnecessary dangers. 

"Tell me then, Wufei. Just what is wrong with that? How is it wrong? Against your religion? Or against society's perception? Who decides what is wrong and right anyway? Humans are different from animals because they have emotions and feelings. They live according to their feelings and emotions. And if their feelings and emotions lead them to each other, then why fight it? Besides, isn't God about love? He chose to love every being in the universe back then, I don't believe that will change. God loves us. He won't condemn them for loving." Shinigami replied earnestly. "And don't you get it? He is Duo's only hope." 

Heavyarms cocked his head slightly. "So what's your point, Shini? Accept him? Let him befriend Duo?" 

The ebony horse nodded confidently. "Since we got him here, we must at least be responsible for him. It's impossible to let him go now. He'll die out there. The only thing we can do now is to let him meet Duo and pray that they'll become friends." 

Wufei almost sulked as he crossed his arms. "But what if they don't?" 

"We'll let them, no matter what the cost." Quatre answered coolly. 

"We're choosing the tough road, eh?" Trowa commented casually, as he swept his bangs behind. 

Nataku shook his head. "No. It's the only road." 

"And what about princess? Who's gonna deal with her? You guys know that she's the one who runs the castle!" Wufei reminded. 

"Don't worry about that. I've already got that covered. She has already given her word for this. We can just go ahead with our plan." Quatre assured. 

Finally, all problems settled, the group of seven nodded to each other. 

***** 

"What's taking them so long?" Heero growled for the umpteenth time in the past few minutes. 

Sandrock shook his head silently. 'Impatient.' He noted. It had been barely ten minutes! Diverting his attention to something else seemed like a good idea. "Where do you come from, Heero?" 

The cobalt-eyed boy answered wearily, "The Dark Woods. I live there alone." 

"Oh, I see." 

Before he could ask anything else, Heero interrupted, "Why did Wing bring me here? Why me?" 

Sandrock knitted his brows together and frowned. "Because…" He started, voice solemn. "You are the *only* person he can reach. This is unmei. Duo he… he is in dire needs of having a friend he can truly talk to." A call prevented him from elaborating. Not that he wanted to anyway. 

"Sandrock!" The reddish-orange mount trotted to their side. "We've come to a conclusion. Bring him to Duo now." 

The yellow horse nodded. "I understand. Come with me, Heero." 

Quatre sprinted over to them. "I'm coming too." He stated flatly, then hopped onto his mount's back. 

Heavyarms gestured for Heero to get onto his back. Heero complied, then the two horses shot out like bullets, in search of their prince. 

***** 

The beauteous sight of a vast garden greeted Heero. An endless waltz of colours dominated the area. The sun-kissed flowers bloomed gorgeously, swaying gently with the smoothing afternoon breeze. Roses, tulips, lilies, carnations, orchids, and so many other different breeds that Heero had never seen before. He felt like a puny ant, lost in a labyrinth of exquisite loveliness and luxurious extravaganza. Their sweet aroma spread far and wide, mesmerizing. Butterflies with wings so large and other attractive insects danced around as though the petals were their stage, and they were performing a musical of the highest standard. They dived into the thick bushes, then pounced onto their friends as though they were engaged in a playful game of tag. Birds landed themselves delicately onto the branches and sang melodiously. Their voices merged, forming a band of the best choir. Some flew to the edges for a cool, refreshing drink. Others soared into the skies, then swoop down onto the peaceful lakes for food. The fishes swam into the warm depths of their homes, safe from their predators. Every once in a while, they would rise to the surface and squirt a stream of water into the air, as though teasing the winged creatures of their inability. The more timid ones merely rose to the top for a glimpse of the outside world, then plunge back immediately, causing ripples on the otherwise tranquil lake. A fountain stood alone in the center, water spilling down in smooth cascades. Heero felt that he was in Eden, a garden of pure celestial magnificence and purity. A marvel of ancient construction, its brilliance shone with archaic illuminance. 

In the center of the fascinating garden that stood before them, held a beautiful angel, shining with glorious luminance. The figure stood alone, in the epicenter of the magnificence, his angelic radiance far outshining the garden surrounding. 

Heero was spellbound by the enchanting captivation. It was picturesque, and he didn't have the heart to break the magic. He paused to admire the scene that presently adorned his field of vision. 

His chestnut tresses, more delicate than silkworms' prized asset, softer than any quills, hung down to his waist in a perfectly neat braid. Every strand glowered magically. His bewitching endless pools of amethyst sparkled with intelligence far surpassing his age; the violet irises twinkled with emotions, so expressive as though they had a life of their own. They shone with the glory of god, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. He had a pale, ethereal beauty, accented by long lashes and an elegant bone structure. Full, cherry pink lips adorn his heart-shaped face like garnish in a sumptuous dish. Heero was sure that even if he were wearing the shabbiest of rags, he could turn them into the rarest silk just with his charm. Not even the best artists could capture his glamour and radiance; no still picture can let anyone relieve his smiles. He was beautiful. No, beautiful couldn't do him justice. He was seraphic, angelic. And when he opened his mouth, Heero knew he was lost forever as torrents of emotions wash over him. 

Sorceress Fantasia @ July 2000 

Last revised 4th September 2000 

**_Author's Note_**_: Ok, so I've revised this chapter a little. Not much difference, but just a few changes here and there. The most important feature I've added is the hints of a new character. Throughout the chapter, you may have encountered the characters talking about a 'her' and 'princess'. I won't say much about her yet. She will make her debut in the next chapter. But I assure you that she has a big role to play in the next part of the fic. _

_And observant readers may notice that the portrayal of Hirde changed a little as well. She's more obsessive, I guess. The change here was to make way for the appearance of the new character. And Relena becomes Zechs' adopted sister for the same reason. So maybe from here, you can guess that Zechs is a *fairly* important character as well. _

_Lastly, thanks for the encouragement you readers gave me! I almost wanted to give up on this fanfic once, but I've passed that stage because of your encouragement! Arigatou minna-san! ^_^_


	3. Harle's Debut

Title: Desert Rose Part II: Harle's Debut 

Author: Sorceress Fantasia 

Pairing: 1+2, 3+4, 5+M, 5+?, 13x6 

Warnings: Slight angst, evil Relena and Hirde, unsympathetic Trieze, OC, slight crossover (just borrowing one chara from Chrono Cross) 

Archive: http://www.gwaddiction.com/levlair/index3.htm

Disclaimers: I may own a lot of things, but the GW guys aren't included. So yeah, the characters do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun. Harle is a character taken from Squaresoft's Chrono Cross. She does not belong to me either.

"Who is he?" Duo asked Quatre, in his soft tenor voice. He scanned the new boy suspiciously, like some housewife choosing and fussing over a fish in a wet market. 

A wild, unruly mop of dark brown hair covered his eyes. As though responding to his silent question, a tiny shiver of breeze blew those bangs up, allowing him to catch a glimpse of those magnificent orbs. The endless cobalt depths drew him in, dismantled his defenses, and then he was falling into the starry depths that knew no limits... He just kept falling, falling, falling… Faintly, Duo recalled some friends with beautiful eyes he had ever seen in his short existence; Quatre's cerulean eyes glowed aquamarine with a faint green sheen, and Trowa's had been even brighter, but they were mere fireflies compared to the searing starfire of this boy's eyes. They burned brilliantly with passion, and unbeknownst to the prince, he was the fuel that allowed the continuous blazing. Eyes were the windows to one's soul, and Duo was gazing into the most beautiful soul he had ever beheld. Of course, he had always been wary of strangers, but this boy created a new type of impact on the young prince. Something about him made Duo willing to believe him. 

'It's been too long since I've seen a new face.' He reasoned silently, as he recalled why his mind was making such a big fuzz over a small thing like this. 'Is it just me, or is he really upset?' He silently debated in his mind. Of course he was, his mind snapped hastily like a Venus flytrap. Who in the right mind could laugh in a situation like this? Trapped in the middle of a desert and far away from home? Duo agreed wholeheartedly, and felt a sudden twinge of sadness he thought he had long forgotten. Heero's current situation reminded him of himself. Trapped in the middle of a vast desert, not able to return home again. Wasn't he the same? Shrugging off the pessimistic thought, he made a mental note to introduce him to Harle. The girl always had a way of provoking laughter from anyone even in their bluest days, and did so often. It was hard to not feel happy with her around. She had 'cured' Duo when he first arrived five years ago. Surely she could do the same for Heero. 

Then he took out his mind scheduler and made another mental note there. Hide him from Hirde and Relena. They would certainly be hopping mad if they found out that a stranger had barged into the castle, and incurring their wrath had never been the smartest thing to do. In Hirde's case, it might not be *too* bad, but for Relena… Well, if Lady Luck laughed at you, smiling isn't enough, you might be able to get away with a few burns from the bolts hurled at you. If Lady Luck turned her back on you, you might end up in the fireplace as a piece of black charcoal. Ok, maybe he's exaggerating, but it wasn't far from the margin. What an aunt he had. Sure, she may look weak and feeble, fragile even, but she definitely wasn't. Boy, was she *far* from that description. A very annoyed Relena = Devil. Perfect equation. But even so, he still didn't have the heart to abandon the poor boy in his current woeful situation and let him roam the dry desert sands alone; he wouldn't survive for more than a few days. From hunger or dehydration he didn't know, and he should give him a few shakers of pepper and salt, maybe even sugar to go with; who can say for sure that he wouldn't end up on the dining table of some monster out there? One thing's for sure, though. The boy has absolutely no chance of survival. There wasn't much of a choice, was there? 

Quatre beamed in delight. He had been doubtful of whether a friendship could blossom between them, but now all doubts were cleared. He was very certain the two would make excellent friends, judging from their facial expressions. Besides, he could feel the current of electricity that run through their bodies with his uchuu no kokoro. Duo had never been very good at hiding his emotions. He was one of those people who wore their hearts on their sleeves. Of course, he himself wouldn't know… yet. 

"My prince," The blonde boy replied in all politeness. "He is Heero, a wanderer of the lush Dark Woods. He stumbled upon Wing some time ago, and has managed to bring him back to our realm." 

"Honto ni? Wing is back?" Duo broke into a wide grin. "Finally! So I guess Shini has found the best medicine to her loneliness, ne?" 

"Of course, Duo-sama." 

At that, Duo puckered up his lips in a frown and rolled his eyes in mock anger. "There you go again! Calling me Duo-kun, Duo-san, Duo-sama or what have you!" He crossed his arms in a taunting manner. "I've told you this so many times that I've lost count already! Don't call me that! I don't like it. Remember, Quatre. In my palace, there is no prince, no servants. All I have here, are friends who call each other by their names only. Get it?" The prince stated his point with wild hand gestures for emphasis. 

Quatre shook his head, amused. "Hai." What a kawaii prince to serve. 

Heero's thoughts were pretty much on the same track as Quatre's. Somehow, he had always had the feeling that royalty were snobs, with an air of arrogance and superiority around them. And because of that, hard to get acquainted with. From what he had previously heard, some members of the royal court abused their powers and did a lot of horrible things. For example, selling some poor souls to become maids or slaves even. And those were the lucky ones. The really unfortunate ones may be sold to brothels, or slain so as to act as a threat to his or her family. Oh, he had seen too much of those. After seeing and hearing so much, Heero started to despise the royalties or nobles very much, and learnt to steer clear of their paths. That was one of those reasons his family moved to live in the Dark Woods. However, this prince… this Duo was… different. He was such a huge contrast to those brutes, who thought that power and wealth was everything. Like a beautiful lotus, who sprouted in the murky waters of the muddy pond, grew out of the dirty mud untainted. He was still as clean as the day he was born. 

Quatre ushered him forward with a little nudge, and motioned for Duo to do the same. The latter understood his meaning, and held out a friendly hand. "Konnichiwa, Heero. Just call me Duo. Glad to meet you." Too glad, he mused silently. It was time Duo got a new companion. Not that the others were boring, but they just aren't his cup of tea sometimes. 

Heero took his hand, a little hesitantly. He wasn't sure how would he react when their flesh contacted. Slowly, their hands touched, and wrapped firmly around the other. The skin was smooth to his touch, and it was… addictive. Heero didn't want to let go, but still parted reluctantly. 

Duo merely grinned widely, his gesture of welcome. Then he dragged the blonde to the side, leaving Heero standing there with Heavyarms and Sandrock. "So, what are we gonna do with him, Quatre? There's absolutely no way we can let Relena or Hirde or even my father find him here! They'll probably toast him alive! But we can't let him go either! He'll die in the desert heat and I don't want his death to be on my conscience." 

Quatre smiled, assuring his worrisome heart, "Relax, Duo. Don't get so agitated; the day's hot enough as it is! They won't be coming so soon. We'll think of something by the time they come. And besides, Harle is coming back soon, isn't she? She can most certainly help solve this dilemma. In the meantime, why don't we just let him stay here for the time being? You could get used to a new friend too." 

Duo nodded thoughtfully as he listened. What Quatre said does make sense. Since there really wasn't much he could do about, he might as well just deal with the situation step by step. Decision made, he bounced over to Heero and wrapped a playful arm around his and proceeded to drag him off. "C'mon! Let's go somewhere quiet and tranquil to talk!" 

Heero looked positively surprised at the turn of events, but also rather satisfied. In fact, he reminded Quatre of a cat who had polished off several plates of cream. 

Quatre and the two horses grinned widely, and made a discreet exit. All of them knew what was going between the two, and neither of them wanted to play gooseberry. Besides, they had a report to make to their friends. 

***** 

As they stepped into a small pavilion, Duo started talking. Actually, he had never stopped talking ever since he slung his arm around Heero's. Directing him to sit on one of the marble seats, Duo took the seat opposite to his. 

"Heero? How did you arrive here? I know Quatre said that you took Wing back, but I have this sneaky suspicion that it was the other way round. Wing has always had the ability of getting into sticky situations and bailing himself out with his orthodox ways. Did he get you into trouble? Gomen nasai." 

Heero thought bullets were whizzing pass him. The boy was talking way too fast. He held up an arm to stop the prince as he shook his head. "Prince Duo-" 

Duo shook his head vigorously. "Duo. Call me by my name; it's fine, I assure you. And I shall call you Heero. *Just* Heero." 

Heero nodded. "Duo." He paused, waiting for Duo's affirmation. He took Duo's nod as his cue to continue. "I found Wing in the forest weeks ago. I took him in because I thought he was some wild animal. He stayed with me for quite some time. Then I decided to release him when I discovered his longing to return to the place where he truly belonged. But before that, I wanted one last ride on him. However, he suddenly picked up speed, so fast that I almost couldn't hang on anymore. The next thing I know, here I am." 

"Ohhh~!" Duo looked thoughtful. "I see." He put an arm on Heero's shoulder, "Trust me when I say I'm going to give Wing lessons about speed limits. Not to mention safety lessons too." Then he snapped his fingers as he recalled something. "How did you know his real name? Was it by luck? Or sheer coincidence?" 

Before Heero could say a word, Duo butted in again. "Let me guess. The word just came into your mind when you wanted to name him?" 

Heero nodded mutely, faintly surprised, even though something in his mind told him he shouldn't be. After all, what can you expect when horses can actually speak in the human language? 

Duo blew his jagged bangs with an exasperated huff of air. "That Wing! Trust him to use his powers like this. Just wait till I get my hands on him. I'm gonna teach him another lesson on top of those two." 

***** 

***Back at the stables* **

AAHHH- CHOOOOO! 

Shinigami asked gently. "Flu?" 

Her mate shrugged. "Who's talking bad about me?" 

***** 

***Back at the pavilion* **

"Powers?" Heero echoed. 

"Oh! I guess I should've told you 'bout this. Everyone in this castle has some sort of magic. This is, after all, a magically enchanted palace. For example, you know Quatre? He has a very powerful sixth sense that enables him to know if something bad will happen. To him, everyone is a book to read. He can feel the deepest of emotions of someone, even if his face is impassive. Quatre calls it his 'uchuu no kokoro'. And well, Wing is some sort of telepath. He can send messages to someone else within a twenty-meter radius through his mind. Then the receiving party hears it in his mind." Duo explained patiently. "I'll tell you one by one some other time." Suddenly, Duo looked thoughtful. "So, you're staying here right?" Duo asked, then immediately berated himself for asking such a stupid question. The answer was so obvious like a flea on a bald man's head. Heck, even the blind could see that it was impossible to leave. But then, he felt that he needed a reassurance that his new friend wouldn't leave. It wasn't as though he could meet someone new everyday. 

Heero nodded. "I have no means of leaving here. I'd probably just die on the way." Not that he wanted to leave, anyway. Leaving the most beautiful angel just for the wooden walls of his house? That sounded downright idiotic. 

"So, you wanna take a tour around the castle? It's huge, so it might take us the better part of the day. If you want to, we should leave now. I'll show you around." Duo offered helpfully. "And I can also find a room for you in the meantime." 

Before Heero could speak, he was already dragged off again by an overly enthusiastic prince. 

"Silence means consent!" Duo quipped gleefully. 

***** 

After a trip to the kitchen, the dining hall and other areas, Duo led Heero into the main hall. The place was luxuriously and tastefully designed. Milky white pillars stretched high above their heads, providing a firm support. An enchanting picture of stars and planets adorned the large ceiling. If one lay down on the ground, one would think one was staring into the night skies. And what was a palace without a royal seat? Two exquisite thrones sat peacefully at the other side of the room. The seat was made from some of the best wood Heero had ever had the chance of seeing in his entire career as a woodcutter. Velvet cushions apparently made the thrones very comfortable. 

Duo stood behind him, and gestured for him to explore the place as he liked. Heero wandered around the room to see to his heart's content. Silently, he wondered how would it feel to live here? From what he had already seen, living here was probably rather comfortable, but also rather restricted. He wouldn't be able to wander too far out. His musing was suddenly interrupted by a melodious voice. 

"Salut, Duo. Did you miss moi?" 

Duo snapped his head back. Upon seeing the figure, he allowed a wide grin to break forth. Actually, he already knew who it was before he turned. Only one person in the entire palace would speak like that. And who else had that enthusiasm and life in their voice? 

"Harle!" Duo chirped gleefully. It was a big relief that she was back. Life was getting a little boring without her. 

The girl made an exaggerating curtsey, causing the bells on her hat to tinkle wildly. "Good day." She greeted respectfully. Duo played along, and gave her a just as exaggerating bow laughingly. As she rose, she noted the presence of a stranger standing beside the prince. She raised an eyebrow suspiciously. 

"Ooh-la-la! I see zat we have a stranger here, monsieur Duo." She looked only faintly surprised, as though she had expected this to happen. However, Duo failed to notice the strange behavior in his friend. 

"Indeed we have." He ushered Heero forward. "Harle, I'd like you to meet Heero. And Heero, meet Harle." He turned back to her. "He took Wing back here, but now he's stuck with us." Then he went on to explain the whole situation in detail. Heero never knew one could talk this long. But Harle listened on attentively, and nodded at certain points in the long speech to show it. It was as though she was used to this. 

As they spoke, or rather, Duo spoke, Heero took the opportunity to take a long good look at the girl. She was… well, in his opinion dressed in the weirdest of clothes with extremely striking colours. Her top was mostly scarlet, with a bit of gold and purple here and there. At the bottom of her purple skin-tight sleeves were two comically big red gloves that were too big for her small, delicate hands. Translucent material allowed one to see the outline of her long, slender legs that were covered in a soft and filmy azure blue silk, and the fabric was slightly flared for a loose look, but gathered at the delicate ankles. Her scarlet shoes curled up at the front, and the mouths were fringed with snowy white fluff. Two flaps of flowing red cloth, also each with a dangling bell at their edges, rested behind her back. She was also wearing a typical jester cap, with jingling bells and two fluff balls at the side. To top all of that, she also wore an incredibly thick makeup. It was as though her face was the canvas of a wild artist. Her face was white like a sheet, with black bringing out her beautiful eyes. Captivating ruby eyes that were deep, so endless, so full of secrets, and sparkling with intelligence far surpassing her age. Her eyebrows were also emphasized with a dark shade of ebony. A blue slash was drawn over one eye, and a red teardrop was drawn under her other. Her full lips were in an enchanting shade of royal purple. 

Harle nodded thoughtfully once more as Duo finished, then eyed Heero like he was a piece of choice meat to be auctioned out. Circling the boy like a fierce predator about to pounce, she put in all her observation skills as though she were a scientist. Finally, she broke the silence. "Hmm, I suppose he'z staying here? Have you allocated a room for him? If you haven't, let moi help." 

"It's ok, Harle. You need rest. After all, you just came back from father's. Oh yea." He snapped his fingers as he suddenly remembered something. "By the way, anything new?" 

She shook her head dejectedly. "Sadly, non of note. However, I do gat'er zat Miss Hirde iz coming not this month but rather ze next, somewhere in ze middle. Miss Relena won't be here anytime soon eit'er. And so iz your father. I've asked zem about ze matter, and both admits zat it shall be at least two, three monthz before zey can come visit." 

"Is that so?" Duo asked, not bothering to hide his gloominess. He missed his father deeply, and didn't he remember what day next Friday was? Maybe he didn't matter that much to his father after all… 

Harle noticed the change in Duo's mood immediately, and tried her best to console him. "I shall be here, and so will ze otherz. We know w'at occasion iz coming. Do not worry, monsieur Duo." 

The braided prince nodded mutely. 

Blankly, Heero wondered what occasion were they referring to. New Year? Nah, that was a long time ago. Christmas? Nah, still a long way to go. Easter? No, that was just over. What could it be? Catching the knowing look Harle threw him, he knew he would be briefed about it later. 

"That's settled, then. Well, let's get back to our little tour shall we?" Duo smirked at Heero. As usual, Heero was dragged off before he could voice his opinions. 

Harle shook her head in amusement. The prince was always so forceful. A trait that ran in his family, she recalled. "It'z in hiz genez, I guezz." She remarked casually. As the two figures disappeared into the corridor, she stood akimbo and watched them leave. Huffing a sigh, she mused, 'Ze show iz finally on… And everyt'ing iz going according to expectationz, my friend…' With that last thought in mind, Harle turned away from the throne room and marched off in the opposite direction that Duo and Heero took. 

Harle went back to her room immediately, but instead of taking a well-deserved rest, she walked up to a stonewall. She had far more important things to handle right now. Sleep could wait. After making sure she was alone, her hands searched the wall for a familiar button. Locating it, she pushed a well-disguised brick firmly, and a doorway suddenly opened beside the button she had pushed. Eyeing the entrance cautiously for a brief moment, she stepped inside the cold and damp passage. Gingerly, she made her way through effortlessly. Soon, she was at the other end of the secret passageway. She waited for a while, listening to the surroundings outside, before she decided that no one was present at the moment. Making sure one last time, she pushed another brick in and the door opened to let her out. Quickly, she sneaked into the shrine. In her mind, she knew she had to be quick for Duo was coming here as well, but had taken a longer way. The shorter route was only known to Harle, for she had been the one who created it. And she had made absolute sure that no one could detect its presence. 

Scampering across the room, she anxiously made her way to a body-length mirror that had been the queen's favourite possession when he had been alive. Framed by a golden border, the round object hung peacefully from the wall. Reciting a spell, she placed one hand gently over the mirror. As the spell progressed, the object's surface started to ripple, originating from the contact of her hand and the mirror. When the spell was done, Harle leaped into the disrupted surface silently. Her figure soon disappeared, and the mirror's rippling stopped and assumed its usual tranquility, as though the event had been nothing more than sheer imagination. 

***** 

As soon as Harle vanished from sight, Duo came in, dragging in a more-than-happy-to-follow-but-pretending-not-to-be-Heero in with him. Once more, Heero was astounded by the beauty and luxurious place. Not to mention holiness too. 

The room was wide, and the ceiling very high. Heero had a sneaky suspicion that Michaelangelo had visited this room and did the decoration for this room. The fascinating angels' painting on the ceiling, the skillfully done sculptures which seemed to be alive, and the archaic atmosphere. Out of the many beautiful sculptures, one was especially seraphic. The marble statue stood tall on an altar in the end of the room in all holiness. Cascades of waist-length tresses wrapped around his body, and his hands were held together at his chest as though he were praying. The figure also had a pair of seemingly soft wings. At its side were two other statues that portrayed the cupids. 

"Wow…" Heero breathed out in awe. 

"Beautiful, huh?" Duo asked. Heero could only nod in response. 

"This shrine is dedicated to my mother, the deceased Queen Zechs." 

At this, Heero turned to look at him. Taking this to be his cue, Duo further explained, "Maybe it's hard to believe, but Harle was the one who designed this place. The end results were really satisfying. She truly has the flair for interior design, eh? But actually, all of us were surprised when we first saw this place. It was like… mother had done up the place himself. Everything here was done according to my mother's preference and taste. For some reasons, Harle knew exactly what my mother would have done. She is really amazing, I tell ya. But honestly, none of us knows where Harle came from. Everything about her is a mystery. The only thing we know is her name and age." 

"Then how did you find her?" 

"We didn't find her. Mother did. He had gone to the mountains alone to mediate, only with his favourite mount Tallgeese. When he arrived back in the palace, he had taken her along and took her in. Despite father's repeated queries, mother refused to say anything about her, except that she can be trusted wholeheartedly. And he insisted that Harle should be with me anytime, anywhere. Eventually, mother bestowed the title of Princess Harlequin upon Harle. And that's where Harle got her name from. It's short for Harlequin. We don't know her real name either. Harle wields a lot of power in the court. That's the reason she has to make occasional visits to the court to help out. According to mother, the title she gave Harle makes her status on the same level as mine. She's sorta like my guardian. In this castle alone, she has the highest status besides me. But honestly, I have to listen to her as well. Even on his deathbed, mother instructed father that Harle should settle everything in my future castle, which turned out to be here. So as you can see, everything here was done up by Harle. She decided on the materials, the décor, the furniture and whatnot. That's why she knows the castle better than any of the others." 

Heero looked thoughtful. "But don't you find it weird? That Queen Zechs would just take a child in so suddenly?" 

Duo nodded vigorously. "I've asked mother so many times I've lost count, but he never says anything about the issue. He just told me to listen to Harle, and do whatever she says. Especially after he dies. Mother made it sound as though he *knew* he was gonna die soon. Harle came into the palace when she was nine, and I was only seven. She's been with me ever since." 

"Have you seen her without the makeup?" 

Duo shrugged. "Nope. She's been wearing the makeup since the day mother took her back to the palace. Harle has never, ever let anyone seen her without the makeup. It's her rule, no one's supposed to question her about that." 

"That is… so… so…" Heero struggled to find the appropriate word. 

"Strange? Mysterious? Bizarre?" Duo offered helpfully. 

"Somewhere there. Don't you ever ask her about her heritage?" 

"Used to. But she doesn't say anything helpful either. She always a way to get out of that. I've grown used to that. Don't worry about her. Harle's a nice person. You can trust her with anything. Really." Duo assured. "Everyone's got to have their secrets, if you know what I mean." 

Heero nodded. "I understand." 

"Enough said about that! Go on and see the room yourself. Harle did a really good job for this one." 

After a few minutes, Heero noticed the presence of a fairly large mirror, the very same one Harle had gone into. "Your mother's?" 

Duo grinned widely. "Yep. Mother loved this mirror a lot when he was alive, that's why he instructed Harle to put it in here. So there." 

"I see." Heero responded, then went back to view the mirror. Somehow, he felt that mirror was special, and that it was more than just a mirror. However, he couldn't put his finger on what was that. It wasn't prediction, nor was it foretelling. It was a feeling of foreboding. It is something mystical, something magical. No matter what, Heero knew that the object was more than just an ornament. 

Before long, he was dragged off again by the over enthusiastic prince. As he was pulled along, Heero threw a backward glance at the mirror then marched off with Duo. 

Once they had cleared the room, the mirror's surface rippled again. Suddenly, Harle jumped out and landed gracefully on her feet. Gaining full balance, she turned towards the doorway which Duo and Heero had just left from mere seconds ago. Crossing her arms confidently, a cool smirk cracked onto her face. 

"… …Pretty sensitive." Then she glanced back at the mirror. "Am I right, Zechs?" 

The mirror emitted a cold glow. 

***** 

After an incredibly long tour, Heero was finally shown to his room. Although plain, the room was well furnished. He had everything he needed. A couch, a wardrobe, a desk, two cushioned chairs, and even a bathroom to himself! He hadn't had the energy to check it out yet, and he wouldn't be surprised if there was a Jacuzzi bath inside. But the best of all was the deluxe bed. Heero thought he could hibernate on that comfortably for a couple of years. Never had he seen such a beautiful and snug bed. 

Lying lazily on the bed, he stretched himself to full length. What a traumatic day he had gone through, and now was high time for him to take a little rest… or so he thought. A knock on his door told him that his sleep would have to wait a while more. 

"Coming!" He called grouchily. Then he trudged over. Pulling the door open, a familiar face greeted him. 

Before he could say anything, the girl spoke, "Are you not going to let moi in?" 

Dumbly, Heero stood aside and held the door to let the girl brush past. As she sat herself down in one of the chairs, Heero closed the entrance to his room. Then he sat down in the other chair as she motioned for him to sit as well. 

"Shall I call you monsieur Heero? Or doez Heero sound better?" 

"Heero is fine." 

She gave a soft nod, and spoke her mind before he could. "Perhapz you are wondering why am I here. Or perhapz you already know. W'atever it iz, I want you to listen carefully to w'at I am going to say." 

That got a nod from Heero. She continued. 

"I know why you are here. It'z not very surprising t'at Wing would do somet'ing like zat. I had expected it to happen sooner or later. Zerefore, I am prepared to help you adjust to ze life here. I do wish you will cooperate wit' moi." She paused, waiting for a response. 

Getting another nod, she added, "First off, although zis iz a palace, monsieur Duo doez not like lawz or whatzoever. Zus, you are free to do what you like. Zere iz no need to bow, or to kneel. However, I do hope you will know your limitz and not go overboard. Second, ze palace is filled with monsterz. It does not attack uz, but you *are* a new face." Handing Heero a chain, she explained, "Zis will keep the monsterz off you. W'atever you do, be cautious. You are fully responsible for your own safety." 

Taking the chain, Heero noted the presence of a silver pendant hanging on the chain. Nodding, he fastened it around his neck silently. Of course, he had his queries, but he wanted to wait till she had finished. 

"Next. Since you are not suppozed to be here, you have to hide yourself when visitorz arrive. Best to stay here. Getting seen by anyone other than uz can cost you your darling little life. Understand?" 

Once she had gotten her usual response, she stood up and headed for the window. Turning around, she faced Heero once more, her back now facing the opening. "Laztly, take note zat hurting monsieur Duo will definitely cost you your life. All of us are sure of zat, and I will be ze first to do so. When I say 'hurt', zat includes both physically and mentally." 

For the first time, Heero spoke, "I won't. I promise." 

Seeming satisfied with the answer, she walked past him to the door. Before opening it, she looked back. "By ze way, monsieur Duo will be celebrating hiz sixteenth birthday next Friday. You may want to prepare somet'ing for him. Anyt'ing will do. I will keep you updated about our planz for zat day." As she finished, she opened the wooden door. 

However, before she could leave, Heero stopped her. "Wait. I want to know something." 

Harle gestured for him to go on. 

"Where do you hail from?" 

Harle looked faintly surprised, but managed to maintain her composure. "I see zat monsieur Duo haz told you quite a bit about moi. Ze place where I hail from? Let'z just say it'z where you will one day go." 

Heero didn't quite understand, but decided that Harle wouldn't reveal anything more, so he moved on, "What do you mean by you aren't surprised by Wing's actions? And that you had expected my arrival?" 

With her arms crossed, she wriggled a finger, "Sorewa… himitsu desu." 

"I want to know." Heero stated plainly. 

Standing akimbo, she grinned slyly. "Ziz iz how human'z are. Zey dislike being kept in ze dark. But it seemz zat you don't understand. Sometimez, it'z better to not know anyt'ing. A secret iz a secret because it shouldn't be known. It iz dangerouz, yet wit' a certain amount of excitement. Zat iz why humans wish to know other'z secretz. Secretz are dangerouz, and so are ze people who hold ze secretz." 

Heero had a hell of time trying to keep a straight face. The fact that Harle resembled an epitome of darkness didn't make the task any easier. 

Suddenly, she chuckled. "Now you know." Then, smiling wistfully, she replied. "Zere are some t'ings better left unsaid… for now…" The last word was barely a whisper. With that, the door slammed shut. 

Sorceress Fantasia @ 29th August 2000 

Last revised 4th September 2000 

**Author's notes:**_ Gomen for taking so long! So how was it? I accept all comments, but no flames. Flames will be used to feed my fireplace. _

_What do you people think of the new character here? Harle is a character I borrowed from the game 'Chrono Cross', which I am currently addicted to. I have to explain a little about her. Basically, I'm just borrowing her only, but this fic has absolutely no connection to the game. It's just that I like Harle too much and couldn't resist the idea of putting her here. Besides, thought I might need a court jester, so… ^_^;;; Oh yea, I'm not trying to be funny with Harle's French accent, I took it right out from the game itself! BTW, her name is actually short for 'harlequin'. _

_Lastly, take note that I will be taking a break from my fanfic writing because I'm having my major examinations soon and a lot of mini tests here and there. Sumimasen. I will resume in around mid October to December. That depends on how much you guys write to me! Kidding! ^_^ _


	4. The Oath

Title: Desert Rose Part III: The Oath 

Author: Sorceress Fantasia 

Pairing: 1+2, 3+4, 5+M, 5+?, 13x6 

Warnings: Slight angst, evil Relena and Hirde, unsympathetic Trieze, OC, slight crossover (just borrowing one chara from Chrono Cross) 

Archive: http://www.gwaddiction.com/levlair/index3.htm

Disclaimers: I may own a lot of things, but the GW guys aren't included. So yeah, the characters do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun. Harle is a character taken from Squaresoft's Chrono Cross. She does not belong to me either. 

Note: I live on comments. **Oh yeah, and the first part of this chapter begins with Harle's flashback. **

*Start flashback* 

"How has he been these few months, Harle?" 

The jester replied casually, "He iz fine. However, hiz birthday iz arriving, and he wantz you to be with him." 

The king's eyebrow knitted together as he frowned. Shaking his head, he answered, "As much as I have tried to keep my schedule free for next week, the chancellor does not agree to it. He is keeping me busy with many things. I'm afraid I can't make it." 

Harle sighed. "King Trieze, it haz been nearly eight monthz since Duo saw you. He mizzez you terribly. Are you positive that you cannot make it? He will be very disappointed if you do not attend hiz birthday party." 

Trieze smiled dejectedly. "I'm sorry to say this, but I really can't make it. Tell him that I send my most sincere apologies. I promise I'll visit soon. Maybe in November. But don't worry, Harle." He quickly added, as he noticed her frowning visage. "I've made arrangements for his present. Please take it with you when you return. But make sure you give it to him only on his birthday itself. Not earlier, not later." He instructed. 

Harle merely nodded. 

Then he reached into his side pocket, and fished out a small gem. "I heard that this gem is a really good lucky charm. I thought that its colour matches Zechs' eyes, so I bought it for him. Do me a favour and bring it to him. Place it inside his shrine." 

She nodded again. "I understand." Although she had never openly admitted it to anyone, she was green with envy with Zechs. To have someone who loved you so deeply wasn't easy. And death never did them part; they were still together, in mind if not in body. This sort of true love was what she and Zechs had been looking out for the braided prince. And after eight long years, there had been no results of any kind. Quatre and Trowa seemed to be hooked together already, and Wufei… well, he once had a fiancée. So that meant that he preferred girls. 

Suddenly, a knock interrupted her line of thoughts. "Come in." Trieze called. The door to Trieze's courtroom opened, and two young ladies stepped in cautiously. They bowed and spoke gently, "My lord." 

He nodded. "Good morning, ladies. Are all preparations done?" 

Hirde stepped forward. "Yes sir. The present for Prince Duo has already been wrapped up." She took it out and handed it to the king. 

It was a small package, no bigger than his palm. Yet inside, Harle knew it would be something priceless to the prince. It never was awfully hard to guess what the young prince was thinking. The king handed it to her, and she accepted it with extra care. "I will give it to him personally on hiz birthday, King Trieze." She assured him. Then, she turned to face the two sorceresses. "Do you two want moi to take your presentz to Mon Duo?" 

They snorted. "Why do *we* need your help? We can do it ourselves. But not this month. We are busy with the kingdom, unlike you. Tell him we'll visit him soon, somewhere next month." Relena spat mercilessly. 

The jester merely smirked. "By asking moi to tell Duo zat, aren't I helping you two?" 

"You!" Relena ground her teeth in anger. Hirde ignored her friend's antics. She spoke, "I appreciate your help, Harle, but I'll prefer to hand the gift to him myself. It's better that way. Besides, I want to see him to see how's he doing. I haven't seen him for a long time." 

Harle grinned. "Affirmatively affirmative." 

In an attempt to lighten the atmosphere, Trieze asked, "What are you giving Duo, ladies?" 

Relena crossed her arms smugly. "I came across this top quality silk, and I have sent it to the best tailor in the country. I designed it though. The set of clothes is probably done, and I'm collecting it later this afternoon." 

The king nodded. "Hmm, nice idea Relena. What about you, Hirde?" 

The dark haired girl smiled. "I spent months on this present and I'm sure it'll good for him. It's a potion that I've just created. It will help his hair gain a shiner look and make the locks softer than quills. Besides that, it smells like durian[1] ! He'll love it!" 

'Durian…?' Harle grimaced slightly and sweatdropped. 

However, the king was oblivious to her response. Instead, he looked impressed. "That is clever of you, Hirde." Then he looked at Harle. "Harle? What about you?" 

"Moi? Well, a surprise iz a surprise. I can't tell." 

Trieze raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. "Fine with me. I know I can trust you with this." 

Relena's grin grew even wider, until Harle almost thought that her jaws were going to break off. "Trust her? I bet she hasn't prepared anything." She taunted. 

The other sorceress hushed. "Relena." She shook her head disapprovingly. Sometimes, she just couldn't stand her friend. She was an adult, for goodness sake! So why can't she behave like one? Who in the world would be so stupid as to show their disdain for someone so clearly? It certainly makes backstabbing and plotting against the person a lot harder. 

After all these years, one would think the two sorceresses would have already learnt to act innocent. However, one look at Hirde gave all her evil ploys away. Harle ignored Relena's crude remark. "May I be excuzed?" 

Trieze gave her the permission, and she strode away after bowing respectfully to the king, leaving the trio to discuss. Thinking back on what the two had said, she kept back a snigger. What presents they were giving. How *creative* those two could get. Looks like she's a step ahead of those two blockheads. The results of that one step ahead caused Duo's wardrobe to be full of silk shirts made by her personally, and his bathroom filled with potions of shampoo. Also courtesy of herself. Knowing how Relena is, Harle knew the silk shirt would surely be in a shade of baby pink, coincidentally one of those few colours Duo… well… And for Hirde, well, she rested the case. Didn't she know Duo well enough to know that he hated durian? She dismissed those thoughts and set for home. Her business in the castle was all done. 

*End flashback* 

***** 

Harle lay down on her bed, totally zonked out. Propping herself with her elbows, she eyed the little gift box the king had prepared for Duo. Although she had said nothing about it, she was pretty curious about the contents. But she viewed it as a Pandora's Box; see, but no touch. She snickered as she recalled that day in the palace with the two sorceresses and the king. Having the two sorceresses as her opponents were hardly as challenging as she had wanted them to be. It wouldn't be terribly hard to knock them down. Relena was the easier one; at least she showed her hatred on her face. Unlike her friend, Hirde kept all evil thoughts concealed and always put on an act, as though she was the ultimate good guy. Harle felt pity for the girl; she should just give up sorcery and become an actress instead. She was absolutely sure that the dark-haired girl would win an Oscar. 

Thinking of them made her remember the plans for next week. She made a mental note to discuss it with the rest. From what she heard from Shini, they had planned out the main gist, but they still needed some help from her. 

"I guess kidz will alwayz be kidz. They'll never grow up." She teased gently. But in her mind, she knew that they had all matured through the years. Especially after that dreadful period of time when they had first arrived in this isolated castle. Being the prince's personal servants, they had to accompany Duo here. And so did herself. But her case was different. 

And while the rest, including the prince himself, could never, ever leave the castle (or rather a prison in their case), she had the ability to leave as and when she fancied. Returning wasn't a problem either. That was the privilege of being the Queen's adopted daughter, and not the King's. Besides, her help was needed in Trieze's royal court. She had been granted the royal pendant from the King for this purpose. However, she knew that even if she didn't have the jewelry, she wouldn't have any problems either. The magic barrier those two dim-witted sorceresses cast weren't enough to hold her back. Not at all. 

If they wanted to truly keep her inside, they'll have to do a lot better than this. 

A lot better… 

***** 

"What have you people planned for monsieur Duo'z birthday party?" Harle interrogated the three boys and five horses in front of her. If they needed her help, then she would need to know what has already been planned. 

Quatre replied effortlessly, as though prepared, "We did prepare, but now that Heero's here, we've got to change plans a little to accommodate him as well. As usual, we'll start the day by praying in the Queen's shrine. It will last until around early afternoon." 

Sandrock picked up from his master. "And the celebrations will start in the evening…" 

"Starting with a sumptuous dinner…" Heavyarms added. 

"…with us doing the music." Nataku chirped in. 

"Then, we'll let Heero and Duo dance…" Shini quipped. 

"…while creating the atmosphere in the meantime…" Trowa continued. 

"And viola! They'll get together!" Wing cheered gleefully. Then he gulped as he noticed everyone's eyes were on him. He did enjoy being in the limelight, but not this way. He smiled nervously as he squeaked, "…No?" 

"Of course not. Things are not so easy." Wufei rebutted. 

Harle nodded. "Exactement. We have to let ze two boyz get clozer zis few dayz first if we want zem to dance together." 

Quatre agreed. "Sis' right. Things aren't that easy. We have to help them out a bit. Get them to know each other better, at the very least." 

"But how?" Wing queried. 

Shini rolled her eyes in frustration. "That's what we are gonna discuss, you dolt[2]!" As much as she loved him, there were times when she just couldn't stand him. 

Her mate pouted sadly. It wasn't his fault that he didn't know a lot of things. Unlike other masters, Harle seldom talked to him about herself. Even though Wing was assigned to her to help her as a companion and provide another helping hand in times of need, he knew she never needed any. She was more capable than him, he admitted disappointedly. On the other hand, she seldom taught him anything either. 

Harle sighed. "Zat waz a terribly terrible t'ing you said to Wing." 

But she still protected him. It seems that their roles were reversed right from the start. She should be his guardian instead. He had no objections to that. 

After a brief exchange of hugs and kisses between the two soul mates, they went back to the business at hand. 

"Honestly, I have zis feeling zat they won't be needing much help from uz… But we're still going to carry out our planz." Harle stated clearly. 

Everyone nodded knowingly. 

"So zis iz w'at we are going to do… … ... …" Harle kept the plan concise and brief. That kept everyone focused more easily. But she knew it wasn't really necessary, because all of them were serious about this. All of them were just as protective towards Duo as she was. 

"Is Heero going to be badly injured?" 

"Of courze not. I'll make sure he won't." 

"Sis, are you sure the plan won't backfire?" 

"Let'z just pray it won't." She finished quite simply. If it did backfire, it would prove that Heero wasn't cut up for the role, and she would send him away right away. 

***** 

Heero laid flat against the stonewall of the corridor, breathing heavily. Cautiously, he took a brief peek at the other side of the corridor. All clear. Nobody was present. Specifically, Duo the prince. The over enthusiastic, hyper active, super vivacious young prince. One more moment spent with him was going to cost his life, Heero thought. 

'Coast's clear.' He observed. After making absolute sure that no one was at the other corridor, he snucked over gingerly. This process was repeated several times. Walk along a corridor while sticking close to the wall, peek at the other side, then sneak over. It was a good ten minutes later when Heero finally reached his destination. 

It was a quiet end in the massive garden. He was pretty sure that Duo wouldn't find him here. The cobalt-eyed boy leaned against the wall for a moment, then sank down heavily onto the ground. Breathing heavily, not because of fatigue, but instead because of the clingy prince. Was he some kinda parasite? 

Maybe, Heero felt as though his lifeblood was being sucked out bit by bit. So exhausted was he that he just wanted a moment of peace to rest. Not that he really minded the liveliness clearly shown in the braided boy, but… didn't he need a rest? Even if he didn't, Heero did. After all, Heero had never had much human contact ever since he moved into the Dark Woods. And now, this ultra-active prince was a little too over the edge. Too much contrast in their personalities was proving to be something kinda… wretched. He never was exactly very gregarious. 

However, Duo's outgoing personality led him to think about his past life in the woods. True, life was simple and free back there, no constrictions, no rules to abide. Neither did he have to pay income tax. However, the feelings he had there were dark and lonely. This place was different. A lot livelier, brighter, friendlier. Also, something in him told him that he would have missed out a lot in life if he had not arrived here. A feeling so profound he could feel it in his veins. 

He guessed he would. 

After a good bath of sunlight, Heero stood up and stretched himself fully, reveling in the comfort of the action. Perhaps a change of scenery would do him some good. Still in deep contemplation, he walked away. 

From a dark corner of the garden, a pair of carmine irises glowed slyly as they followed Heero's departure. A ray of sunlight shone onto the silver pendant the stranger held tightly. The plan was in full swing. 

***** 

Heero wove through his way through the myriad of plants, and succumbed to the cool comfort of the shade the pavilion provided. He slid into the wooden benches with ease. It was only on second glance did he realise that this was the same pavilion he and Duo had had their first conversation. Was that barely three days ago? 

After that conversation, the braided boy had been clinging onto him every day, every hour, every minute, every second. Didn't he get bored? Apparently not, Heero mused. 

A low growl interrupted his reverie. Heero immediately whipped his head around, and widening cobalt blue met gleaming obsidian. The dragon stepped forwards menacingly, and was soon joined by two more. They snarled threateningly, advancing. Heero took a careful step back, and clutched at the silver pendant Harle had handed him. Silently, he wondered if it was really that useful. Keep the monsters in the palace away from him. Ha, explain this situation please. However, to his sheer amazement, the pendant wasn't in its usual spot hanging at his neck. Now he understood why he was caught in this sticky situation. Obviously, he had dropped it somewhere in the palace. 'Kuso…' He cursed. Quietly, he thanked all the gods he could think of that he had learnt some self-defense before. Perhaps those lessons would save his skin this time. Or at least, he hoped they would. 

Without warning, they lunged at Heero. He immediately dived for the sides, missing the dragons' powerful claws by barely an inch. Not giving him a chance to catch his breath, one of the dragons turned around, sweeping its potent tail at the area behind him blindly. Heero was caught by surprise and was unable to duck. The great force of the tail sent him flying into the air, crashing into the walls. Falling onto the terra firma, he groaned in agony and pain. Shakily, he stood up again. He managed to stagger a few steps, then cleared his head quickly. He would need all the concentration he could afford. 

The winged creatures gnarled wildly, and dived once more. With amazing speed, Heero rolled away to the side dexterously. Summoning up all his strength, he begun to dash to the safe recesses of the castle. Perhaps he would meet someone inside. No matter how much his pride wouldn't allow him to scream for help, he fathomed he needed some right now or risk losing his life. Dying now wasn't worth it. As he scampered across the garden, one of the mythical beasts roared ferociously and flapped its wing powerfully, lifting itself into the cerulean skies. It soared mightily, its gigantic shadow casting an ebony veil across the ground. For one moment, Heero thought it was about to rain. The next thing he knew, the beast had swooped down and attempted to make meat paste out of him. Fortunately, the dragon had not aimed accurately, and stomped onto the terra firma beside his target instead. However, that impact created was enough to make the ground shake and for Heero to lose his balance. The cobalt-eyed boy stumbled and fell face first onto the ground. He writhed painfully. By then, the other two creatures had arrived. One dragon decided to end this little charade. Fiery red flames of hell gathered at its mouth. It leaned forward, and spat hot burning flames. The intense scorching flames licked Heero's body. He almost cried as he suffered in the tormenting inferno blazing. 

Heero struggled to survive, then his father's words rang through his mind. _'Death is the road God gives you that will lead you to heaven.'_ Perhaps by dying, God would be bringing him to a 'better' world. But had he chosen it? No, he wanted to live. It's just not fair. There were so many things he wanted to do. He wanted to understand Duo; he wanted to talk to him, he wanted to hear him laugh, cry, get angry, to find that piece of himself within Duo… Just as Heero thought he was going to die at the mercy of these beasts, a desperate voice called out to him. 

"HEERO!" 

In his dazed stupor, Heero thought he saw an angel coming to his rescue. An angel with violet eyes and a chestnut braid. 

Then he blacked out. 

***** 

'Li…ght… Light…' Heero blinked a few times, before his vision finally focused on the worried-stricken face hovering above him. 'Am I dead?' He asked himself. Gazing into those magical purple orbs, he thought he had died, and was received by the Lord's finest angel. 

The angel exclaimed, "Oh god! You're finally awake! You're been out for almost the whole day!" He let out a sigh of relief, and his features relaxed considerably. 

"Duo?" Heero rasped, surprised at how dry his lips were. 

The braided boy hushed, "No, don't speak now." Then he took an ice cube and softly rubbed it on the injured boy's lips. Heero reveled in the gentle act. 

After much of the ice had melted, Duo let Heero swallow it. He dipped a small piece of towel into the cool water basin beside him, then wrung it dry before folding it into a small rectangle. Gingerly, Duo wiped away the beads of perspiration on Heero's face. Then with a soft voice, Duo started to talk. 

"I'm really sorry that this happened. You see, the dragons didn't recognise you at all. And you weren't wearing the protective pendant Harle gave you. They mistook you for an intruder. I'm really, really sorry." Duo apologized, clasping his hands in front of him and his eyes shut. It was as though he was praying to the now injured Heero. 

Heero shook his hand slightly. "If you continue to pray like that, you might as well burn some incense paper to go with it. You're making me feel as though I'm already dead." 

Duo stuck out a tongue sheepishly. "Oops, sorry if I offended you." As if he hadn't in the past few days. 

"'S ok." Heero answered softly. 'What's wrong with him now? He's so gentle and considerate. Normally, he's noisy and nosy like nothing else matters.' He was about to say something more, when Duo butted in. 

"Take this." A silvery pendant fell from his loosely curled fist, but he still held the chain. "I guess you dropped it cuz' Harle found it in the garden[3] after we carried you here." As he spoke, he placed the object in question on the table next to Heero's bed. "I'll put it here first. Remember to put it on first thing in the morning, 'k?" 

The cobalt-eyed youth nodded in affirmation. There were other things in his mind that he wanted to ask Duo, but he felt as though a herd of elephants had trampled over him and a tornado swirling in his mind. It boiled down to one thing. His injuries hurt. A lot. Wincing, he released a small groan of agony. 

Duo took it as a cue. "We'll talk when you're better. Go to sleep now. I'll be staying here to keep you company. Besides, you need someone to nurse you. The guys are busy tonight." He explained. 

Heero nodded mutely before dozing off. 

Duo smiled resignedly. He would have to lose sleep tonight. With his slender fingers, he brushed Heero's unruly bangs aside. 'He looks so much like a child when he's asleep.' He thought to himself as he studied his face. The fire standing on the little table beside Heero's bed flickered, its glow shining onto Heero's face. 

Removing the towel from his friend's forehead, he wet it again with cool water. Wringing it dry, he folded it and placed it back onto Heero's face. Leaning back into his chair, he mused. 

'How interesting. Most would have shrieked out in horror if confronted by a creature thrice his size, but not this guy. A creature? I make it three. Although he didn't fight back, at least he managed to survive long enough for help to arrive.' He made a mental note to teach Heero some weaker magic for self-defense. 'A brave person, I would say the least. Is it because he's a commoner?' Now that he thought about it, Heero was the first person he had ever met that wasn't related to the royalty one way or another. Even Harle was considered to be part of royalty. Heck, she was his adopted sister! 

Making up his mind, Duo was determined to find out how the peasants lived, and Heero would serve to be his storyteller. With that thought in mind, he continued to nurse Heero throughout the night. He changed the towel repeatedly, and wiped away his perspire. On some occasions, he would whisper words of comfort into his eyes when Heero starting to whimper in his dreams. Other times, he would fan him back to sleep when he got a little restless. 

After making sure that Heero fast asleep and comfortable, he slipped out of the room. He knew he had promised to stay with Heero, but he had things on his mind that he needed to consult a friend. 

***** 

Duo flew down the steps and dashed his way to Harle's bedroom. He wanted to return to Heero's side as soon as possible. Out of sheer responsibility or purely concern he didn't know. But he just wanted to get back to him fast. 

Knocking -or pounding in his case- on the door, he called, "Sis! Are you awake?" 

After a brief shuffling of sound, the door opened. Duo quickly stepped in, noticing that Harle was seated on her bed. However, she was still with her makeup and her jester clothing. Apparently, she had just arrived back in her room. 

"Even if I were, I would have woken up from your poundingz." She answered resignedly, but with a hint of teasing. 

Duo smiled sheepishly. It wasn't really his fault for being impatient sometimes. "Erm, am I disturbing you, sis?" 

She shook her head. "No. I just came back from ze cages. We've locked ze t'ree dragonz up; Trowa will deal wit' zem first t'ing in ze morning. Zose creatures will be disciplined accordingly." She assured her brother. Then, seeing the worried frown on his face, she asked, "Anyt'ing'z ze matter?" 

Duo started, "Well… I'm worried for Heero." 

"Worried?" She echoed, frowning. 

He nodded. "I know this attack was just an accident, but will it happen again? Sure, we can save him, but if we had arrived there any later… It may happen a second time, or even a third. Can we always rescue him on time?" 

"Do not worry. I will make sure zat he will get a more powerful pendant, one zat he will not lose. In addition, we can also teach him some weaker spellz to let him defend himself. Zis iz not a difficult probleme." 

"What about Relena and Hirde? And my father? They'll skin him alive if they find him here!" 

Harle gazed at him seriously. "Duo, do you enjoy hiz companionship?" 

"Huh?" Duo exclaimed, puzzled. Why would she ask something like this? 

Seeing the confused expression, she added, "If you enjoy hiz company, zen go ahead. Let him stay. Place all your worriez and prohibitionz on my tab, and also the consequencez; I'll take care of everything. Trust moi, Duo." 

He hesitated for a brief moment, then nodded. "Thanks a million, sis. I love ya." 

"I know." 

***** 

Just as quietly as he had minutes ago when he left the room, Duo slid back into the darkness of Heero's bedroom. Panting a little from dashing all the way back here, he slumped into the chair by the bed. 

After a few more changing of towels and whatnot, Duo decided it was enough. Heero should be fine by now. Finally, he gave in to exhaustion and blew out the candle. Putting his head on Heero's bed, he left for dreamland, but not before muttering a faint 'Oyasumi'. 

Unbeknownst to him, Heero was awake. After hearing the soft snores that came from the braided boy, he snapped open his eyes. Smiling down at the sleeping figure, he patted his head lovingly. He knew Duo had left the room some time ago, but he didn't blame him. Duo had already done a lot for him. Tonight, he had seen the gentle and special side of the prince, and he wanted to see it more often. But he knew. They would get closer in the days to come. 

One thing he didn't understand was his last thoughts before he slipped into unconsciousness after the dragons' attacks. Why did everything revolve around the braided prince? Even brainstorming didn't do him any good. But it was okay. There would be time for him to understand. Somehow, something inside of him told him that they would be together for a long, long time. 

Yawning, he whispered, "Thank you for tonight. Oyasumi." Then slipped back into oblivion. 

***** 

Quatre gazed sadly at the enormous cage that currently held the three massive brutes responsible for Heero's wounded condition now. They emitted a soft growl to indicate their displeasure and confusion as to why they were locked up. Theoretically, they had done nothing wrong. There had been an intruder and it was their duty to kill him. As to why they were caged up here now was a mystery for them to solve. 

The blonde Arabian sighed. He shut his eyes, and concentrated[4] . 'I'm sorry you three became our scapegoats. We'll let you out tomorrow. We had to put up a show for Duo.' 

The huge winged lizards seemed satisfied with the answer, and started to quiet down much more. Knowing they would have nothing to do before they could go, they started to curl up against one another snuggly and get some shut-eye. 

Trowa walked up to him and placed a reassuring arm on his shoulder. "They'll be fine. Duo's magic isn't that powerful anymore. There's a limit as to how much damage he can inflict on them." 

Quatre nodded, understanding. "I know, but it still hurts, even if just a little. He paused slightly, then continued. "Do you think we're doing the right thing? Have we gone too far?" 

"As far as I know, Heero is fine. A little scorched by the flames, and some bruises, but they'll heal. Duo is taking excellent care of him. Sis had cast a protective barrier over him before the attack, so the blows didn't hit Heero in full force. As for the too far part…" He trailed off. 

"Of course not. As they say, no pain, no gain. And in this case, I think the pain's worth every bit of it. Duo has never taken care of anyone like this before; it's a first. He should consider it an honour. Besides, this is something that will benefit both he and Duo." Wufei picked up. 

Nataku trotted to his master's side. "I hate to admit this, but this is a pretty ingenious plan. As the Chinese says, you'll only discover who's truly good to you in times of disaster [5]. Some will only value the other in times like this." Then he pouted. "But it doesn't keep me from saying this is unjustified." 

"Well, I do pity the dragons." Sandrock confessed. 

"But it had to be done, and someone had to be the scapegoat. It's just their luck for running into a pendant-less Heero at that time." Heavyarms declared, not the least apologetic. 

Just then, two very thrilled horses galloped in. They could hardly contain their excitement as they arrived, giggling like some young children. 

"Oh gosh! You guys should have seen or heard what went on in Heero's chambers!" Wing exclaimed. 

Seeing everyone's perplexed expressions, Shini explained, "Well, Wing and I took a slight peek inside, and what we saw was kind of… sweet." No one bothered to ask how did they peek into a room that was on the fourth level because they knew it was just part of Shini's inventory. Most probably, she teleported outside the window to catch a glimpse of the two inside. 

"Sweet? What do you mean?" Wufei demanded, feeling his goosebumps rising and shuddered. He was grossed out by Shini's choice of words. Sweet? That sounded downright disgusting. 

"I've never seen Duo so caring towards someone. Sure, he's caring towards all of us, but hey! That kid's a stranger. 'Sides, he was especially caring towards Heero. And he had this really tender and adorable look in his eyes that spelt volumes! I think he likes Heero a lot." Shini almost swooned. 

"What about Heero? What's his reaction?" Quatre asked. 

"He was quiet as usual. But he looked really grateful that it was Duo who was tending to his injuries and not anybody else. And most importantly, he smiled! For Duo! Oh god, you won't believe how good he looks when he smiles!" She exclaimed. 

Wing almost grunted, but Shini noticed his displeasure and moved towards him. Lovingly nuzzling against his neck, she murmured, "Heero may look cute when he smiles, but he can't hold a candle to you, sugar. 'Sides, he's gonna be with Duo." 

Her white mate grinned. "That's better." Then he looked up at the others. Seeing their dying-for-information look, he decided it was better to finish the story. "And I heard Heero saying 'Thank you for tonight'. He sounded really sincere." 

Everyone was impressed. From what they knew about the brown haired boy in the few days since his arrival, Heero wasn't one who knew his manners very well, having the irritating habit of always answering queries with a 'hn'. 

"And he joked with Duo!" Neither was he humourous. 

"Does this mean the plan worked?" Sandrock asked innocently. 

"Of course it worked, baka!" Heavyarms reprimanded mildly. 

Then, everyone started to smile, or grin slightly in Wufei and Trowa's case. Finally, their hard work was showing some results. Now that's something worth celebrating. 

"Phase A finished with satisfying results. Phase B starting soon." Shini announced. 

Everyone nodded. 

***** 

Back in Harle's room, she smiled faintly at the turn of events, then settled down at her writing desk. Reaching for her embossed diary, she recalled the happenings of the day. So much had happened, but few were of any import. She was instead bothered by the date. 

'29th August? Has it really been that long since I've left?' 

Then, she got up and walked over to the body-length mirror. Feeling like a super-model, she made several cute poses and spun around. Suddenly, she stopped and sighed deeply. Staring at her reflection, she knew she had changed a lot. So much that she almost couldn't recognise herself anymore. 

Gently touching the sapphire gem on her forehead, she made her decision. She had never taken it off ever since she entered the palace with Zechs. After making sure that the door to her room was locked, she carefully removed the gem. A spiral of cerise energy glowered at her feet, and slowly rose up to encircle her. Soon, her entire being was blanketed by the sparkling swirls of energy. Within seconds, the energy was fading away. 

With the gem in her hand, she stared back into the mirror. Now that she had removed the sometimes ridiculous jester clothing and her thick makeup, the differences were even more obvious. Her ebony tresses were now at her thighs; they used to be at her shoulders only. Her features had matured; she used to look like a lot more childish. The texture of her skin was no longer as smooth as it had been. She had grown a lot taller; she used to be only half the height she is now. Her limbs were much more slender too. She also had a sleeker figure to top it all. 

All these were not normal for her. They should not have happened. She should just be like Peter Pan, living in Never Never Land[6] and never aging. But she was. Wistfully, she placed the cerulean jewel back at her forehead. Her eyes fluttered close, as beams of cerise energy spilled out from the precious stone. Soon, she had reverted back to her jester clothing and makeup. Harle wasn't about to take a chance and let others see how she really looked like. Sighing, she sat back down at the desk. Flipped open her diary, she started to write. 

_29th August 600 A.D. _

_Sunny (Same thing again. But I am in a desert, remember? ^_^) _

_Dear Diary, _

_Time is truly merciless. It doesn't wait for anyone, not even me. It's been eight years since Zechs found me, and five years since I've arrived in this desert castle. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened to me if I had not agreed to go with Zechs. I wouldn't be aging, I wouldn't be serving in the foolish royal court, I wouldn't be babysitting anyone. Leaving my homeland did have its problems. But neither would I be happy. _

_Duo has brought lots of joy and laughter into my life, even if he doesn't realise it. He is optimistic, witty, loving, adorable, joyous… rambunctious even. These traits are drilled into him permanently; and he still is so. How could one not love Duo? This is a child who is unbelievably strong and smart and caring. Duo in some ways has grown up too fast, and parts of his youth are empty holes, waiting to be filled. He is near fifteen years of age, but he far surpasses his years. The little bratty, taunting boy is a grown, serious, refined young gentleman. I mean, it really is a shock to me. One would hardly recognize him. Almost fifteen and he is as mature as his father. Maybe it was his mother's death, or his imprisonment here, but Duo is definitely another person. Although he chooses to hide that side of himself to most, it has not escaped my eyes. Just some time ago, he was still bitter for the loss of his freedom. I still recall the time when he hated his father's guts for caging him up here. Time is indeed the best medicine. It doesn't ease the pain; it just lets you get used to it. And Duo doesn't care about it anymore. Whether it's because he's too tired to, or he's grown to like this place, I don't know. I do respect his privacy, although I may be his guardian. But even so, we resemble siblings more than anything else. He is the greatest brother one could ask for, and I ask for no one greater. _

_The others too, have changed since that dreadful time. Quatre, the cute little blonde who used to ask me questions like which came first? Egg or chicken? I couldn't help but smile at him back then. His naiveté is starting to wear off, but he is still innocent. Seeing the world with a wider scope and perspective is a good thing. His demure nature has caused him to pick up music, and he now entertains us with his splendid talents. When he was younger, he occasionally struck a bad note. And that resulted in several days of depression for the poor child. However hard I tried, nothing seemed to cheer him up. Not even the sight of his favourite food. But then, Trowa always knew exactly what to do. Just let him handle it and everything will turn out fine. I don't know how he does it, but I don't intend on finding out, because the secret they share is most probably too private to share. _

_His best friend (or something more? ^_^) Trowa, has matured a lot as well. Where is that little doe-eye child that always went around calling for neesan with his teddy bear? Me, their big sister? Heh, now he doesn't do it anymore and I miss it. It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it. Now he doesn't even like to talk. Even so, he is still pure at heart and his innocence lies beneath his forbidding exterior. And he has taken a liking to circus acts. Many a times I have seen him doing back-flips and somersaults. He truly has the flair for it, but his skills were not gained overnight. I still have the habit of putting a bottle of ointment in his room even though I'm sure he doesn't need them anymore. I guess old habits are just hard to kill. _

_The just as quiet Wufei has given the term 'scholar' an entirely different meaning. He's put down his books and focused on martial arts ever since that fateful day. His ex-fiancée, Meiran's death has caused him much pain in his fragile heart, and he has since decided on improving himself so as to protect those he loves. The day those murderers meet Wufei is the day 'justice would be served', as he would say. Her parting has left a great wound in Wufei, and I sincerely hope he will be healed one day. But even so, he still runs around calling 'Onna! Onna!' Some things just don't change. I'm just glad I'm an exception. All of them call me sis. Even Duo too, but sometimes he still calls me by my name. _

_Apart from Duo's occasional slips, there are the horses. For some reasons, they think they're older than me. I don't know why though. Zechs and I had found them in the forest one day, and thought that they were excellent mounts. With a bit of effort, we brought, or rather, dragged them back with us. After a *little* display of magic, we let them each look after one child as their personal mounts. Shingami was given to Duo, Sandrock to Quatre, Heavyarms to Trowa, Shenlong- or rather Nataku to Wufei, and Wing to me. They've taken excellent care of the children, and I'm thankful for that. I'm just relieved that none of them has taken the liberty of asking me why the horses can talk. Innocence is a good thing, eh? _

_Even so, none of the horses know who I really am. That part of their memory was taken away by Zechs. They'll never remember why they are able to talk and communicate with humans, nor will they know my true identity. At least not until I'm done in this world. Or perhaps, they'll leave with me. I don't know. After all, they no longer belong to this 'normal' world. They have been blessed with special abilities, and with that came specific duties and obligations. After all that, maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to go home and reunite with him. When this masquerade is done with, and the red curtains drape over the stage once more, will I be able to return. _

_But before that, our plan will have to go into full-fledged action. I'm glad that Wing has done his part in the show. However, I'm worried about the royal court. Those two sorceresses have always despised me. The feeling's mutual and they are aware of that. I do know why they hate me. Relena thinks that Zechs neglected her ever since he found me, and Hirde thinks that I'm stealing Duo away from her. Both are obsessively obsessive with the things they want. It is a blessing that Duo doesn't like Hirde the way she would want him to. And sometimes, I wonder where did Zechs' eyes go to when he adopted Relena. What a pest she is. Maybe I should get a gigantic bottle of pesticide. Perhaps in order to continue, I will have to dispose of them. But doing so will trigger chaos in the kingdom, and Trieze may get wary about me. After all, he has been since I appeared. He never knew why Zechs adopted me, and never will he know. At least not for a long, long time. By the time he does know, I may already be gone. But at least he trusts me with some things as well, courtesy of Zechs. However, he doesn't when the issue concerns his son. The spell on Duo is cast partly because of me. He believes by doing so, I won't be able to let Duo go. He is right, to a certain extent. I never thought Relena and Hirde could cast a spell so strong, one that not even I can break alone. _

_Apart from all those headache-causing problems, I have to deal with another kid. I used to think four children were enough for me to handle, and now there's a new comer. His name is Heero Yuy. Strange name, I suppose. Not only is his name strange, but so is his character. He appears to be colder than the freezing snow, and yet, his heart is warmer and more passionate than the burning flame. A heart is buried deep within him, but he won't show it easily. I don't know if he is up to our expectations yet, but time will tell. I intend on finding out everything there is about him in the meantime. If he is the one we've been waiting for, then our plans will finally start. If he isn't, then I will banish him and let him return to where he belongs. No one will stand in our way, my dear friend. I have given you my word, and I intend on carrying it out, no matter what I have to do. Rest assured that I will let Duo live happily ever after. _

_Harle _

Sorceress Fantasia @ 30th September 2000 

Last Revised 25th October 2000 

**Author's Notes:** _How is it? Is Harle too in the limelight? Is she kawaii? I hope so. I do so love her! Yeah! Have any of you found out her connection to Zechs? If you have, mail me and see if ya're right. The next chapter will come out soon, I guess. It will be faster if you comment on my fanfic! ^_^ And it will focus more on the growing relation between Heero and Duo more than anything else. By the way, I called this chapter 'The Oath' because of the promise Harle makes. To whom? I leave it up to your imaginations. ^_^ I will reveal the startling truth in a few more chapters. _

And the long-awaited glossary for this chapter: 

[1] Durian. For those of you who live in somewhere out of Asia, you may not know what this is. It is a fruit, with a green spiky shell, and yellow flesh. It grows exclusively in the tropical countries and is supposedly called the 'king of the fruits'. Some people say that it stinks like crap, but others think that it is a delicacy. I guess it depends on the individual. 

[2] Well, usually it's Heero who bullies poor Duo-chan. So this time around, Shinigami turns the table against Wing. ^_^ Kinda like Duo bullying Heero instead. 

[3] So do you know who took Heero's pendant and what was the gang's plans? ^_^ 

[4] I'm assuming here that Quatre's 'Uchuu no kokoro' enables him to communicate through the mind too. 

[5] I translated this from a Chinese proverb. The real thing is 'Huan nan jian zhen qin'. It means that people will only value the other person when they're in trouble or some kinda sticky situation, but not necessary together. For example, someone close to you is involved in an accident. You will then understand how much he/she means to you because you think he's dying. I let Nataku say this because I think it adds a bit of Chinese flavour. After all, Wufei does come from China and Nataku is his mount. 

[6] Who says I can't incorporate a fairy tale reference? *whistles innocently* 


	5. Affairs of the Lonely Heart

Title: Desert Rose Part IV: Affairs of the Lonely Hearts 

Author: Sorceress Fantasia 

Pairing: 1+2, 3+4, 5+M, 5+?, 13x6 

Warnings: Slight angst, evil Relena and Hirde, unsympathetic Trieze, OC, slight crossover (just borrowing one chara from Chrono Cross) 

Archive: http://www.gwaddiction.com/levlair/index3.htm

Disclaimers: I may own a lot of things, but the GW guys aren't included. So yeah, the characters do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun. Harle is a character taken from Squaresoft's Chrono Cross. She does not belong to me either. 

Days went by, and Heero spent each day with the active braided prince whom he had begun to like, even more since they had met. Harle and the rest observed them from a distance, and noticed the growing bond between the two boys with satisfaction. 

"It seems that our plan is working." Wufei commented nonchalantly, as they watched Heero and Duo through a window. 

Harle jumped off the table she was sitting on, then walked up to the window. Looking at them, she nodded with a smile. "Aye." 

"They look so sweet together." Shini sighed dreamily. 

The others could only agree, except Wufei, who went to the library to look up for a book on dentistry to cure his cavities. 

***** 

"Heero, do you want to learn some basic spells? You see, after that incident, I think it's safer for you to be able to defend yourself. We're not gonna be around *all* the time." Duo noted seriously, as he settled down under a shady tree. 

"How?" Heero replied, and he sat down across Duo. 

"Well, I could teach you. Besides, we have a lot of books in the library too. You can read up for yourself, and then ask any of us if you don't understand anything." 

"Does Harle approve of this?" 

"Uh-huh. At least that was the case the last time I asked her. It doesn't really matter. Besides, what can happen?" 

"I'm not so sure about this…" 

Duo let go of the leg he had been hugging, and leaned towards his friend a little. "It really doesn't matter!" He insisted. 

"Why are you so insistent about this?" 

The braided prince sat back and smiled sheepishly, "Well, it does provide some kinda entertainment for me. I've been bored out of my mind this few years. If you let me teach you, I can kill off some time. But more importantly…" He wavered, and a slight blush crept up his face. He lowered his head, as the blades of grass suddenly fascinated him. "I don't know what would happen to me if you got hurt…" The last part was softer than a whisper. 

Heero's jaws slacked. What did the boy say? More importantly, what did he mean by that? Or did it even mean anything at all? He turned away from Duo, and he felt the temperature around him rise significantly. Slowly, he croaked. "…aa…" 

***** 

Some time later, Duo led Heero to the library. As usual, the Asian boy stared at the majestic place in awe. Books filled every shelf, every little corner of the huge room. The floors, and even the stairs were stacked with books of every size and shape. 

Duo let him gawk, and in the meantime, he walked up the stairs to a large shelf. Absently, he racked his brains to remember where was the basic spells book. It had been too far long since he last saw it. Running his slender fingers across the books, he finally pulled out a thick, balky one. Flipping it open, he mumbled to himself, "Bibbity babbity boo… Nah, not this one." Then he slid it back into the empty slot. After some more taking out and putting them back onto their respective shelves, he finally found the correct book. 

"This one?" Heero raised an eyebrow at the book that looked like an antique more than a book. Opening it, he read off a sentence. "Flames of hell, gather to burn?" Nothing happened. Quizzically, he looked at the prince for help. 

Duo chuckled. "You don't just recite the spell! Ya gotta… concentrate, ya know? Let your mind energy materialize. It's not as easy as you think!" He stood arms akimbo proudly, then smiled, "Stand aside kiddo, and let the teacher do a demonstration!" 

Before his companion could respond, he held out both hands and clasped them together. Quickly, he chanted a simple spell. As soon as the words left his mouth, a sparkle of light greeted their eyes and it glowed brightly, before it vanished. Duo turned back to Heero and cocked his head to one side. "See? *That's* how you do it." 

Heero looked at him skeptically. It wasn't that he didn't trust Duo, but that little display of magic was making him suspicious. "Are you sure magic's like that?" 

"Of course it is! Why?" Duo frowned. 

"It looked pretty weak to me." 

Duo pouted and huffed. "Honestly, did you have to bring that up?" He sulked, then turned away. For an instance, Heero thought he had pushed too far. But suddenly, the braided boy admitted softly, "I'd… hurt others before… with my magic spells…" 

Heero kept mum, silently wondering what he meant. Duo spun around to face him again. "You know my story right? How I ended up here?" All he got was an affirmative nod. Then he continued, "After I got here, I deliberately hurt those around me with my magic. So bad it was that they had to seal up my powers. I guess I had been pretty wild back then." Duo stared off into space, eyes clouded with nostalgia. 

"What about now?" 

Duo's violet orbs fluttered shut, then opened again dreamily. "Now? You don't see me chasing after anyone and shooting bolts at them, now do you?" He joked smoothly. Chuckling, he whirled around. "I'm contented now. Contented that I have a loving sister, a bunch of wonderful friends, a stable full of extraordinary horses, and then… there's… you." He looked at Heero fully in his eyes, eyes narrowing as though he had just solved a great mystery. Maybe he had. Finally, a wide grin broke out onto his face. "A marvelous friend from outside…" He breathed out. 

Heero felt himself freezing up. 

The prince smiled broadly. Then he moved up and wrapped his arms around Heero's waist. "Thank you, for being my friend." His warm breath tickled Heero's neck. 

Something was terribly wrong with the weather, Heero was certain. He had only felt the frosty chill a moment ago, and then the room was heating up. He stood stiff for another moment, then his mind got back to him, and he silently pulled Duo closer. 

***** 

Magical trainings soon became a part of Heero's life. Thanks to his incredible memory and ability to comprehend the whole magic idea, his progress was smooth and swift. By the third day, he had already finished the basics and was going into the more advanced spells. 

"Thundaga[1]!" A flash of white struck the dummy target, and it ignited a miniature explosion. 

Duo cheered enthusiastically, "Wow! I can't believe this! You managed to master the second level spells in just two days! You are sooo good." He swooned, his voice full of envy and admiration. 

Heero shrugged nonchalantly, trying to hide the fact that he was blushing slightly. Then the braided prince pranced right up to him with a towel. "Here." As Heero wiped the perspiration from his face, Duo stood patiently beside him with a glass of water. After Heero was done with the towel, Duo took it away and handed him the water. 

As the dark haired boy gulped down the cooling beverage, Duo observed him carefully. Somehow, he found himself enticed by the way Heero was beautiful without trying. Putting down the glass on the table of the pavilion, Heero noticed the unnerving way his friend was staring at him. "Duo? Is there anything wrong?" 

Duo cursed himself for his fair complexion. "N-nothing! Just thinking of something." He replied, not really lying. He bent his head as if he had found something interesting at his feet. As he considered his next response, he noticed the scar on his companion's knee. It wasn't very obvious, but it did look serious. Once. At least when he had just gotten that injury. Lifting his head, he asked concernedly. "Heero," he pointed to his knee, "where did you get that?" 

"…I fell out of bed some time ago." 

Duo wasn't about to buy that story. "Don't lie to me. It looks like it was burnt." When he said that, realisation hit him. "It was the dragons, wasn't it?" 

"…" 

Huffing, Duo dragged Heero to the chair and forced him to sit. Gruffly, he complied. Duo then knelt in front of him and placed one hand on the scar and concentrated. "Come forth, Healing Wind." A healing green mist wove their way into his injury. With that done, Duo looked up. "Better?" 

Heero nodded. 

The braided boy pushed himself off the ground and took a seat beside Heero. "You should have told us that we missed out on your injury." He reprimanded gently, then he added. "Are there anymore?" 

"No." 

"If there are, you've got to tell me, ok?" Duo flashed those puppy eyes that he knew Heero would never reject. 

"Nn." 

A moment of silence fell between them. It wasn't at all awkward or unnerving. It was comforting. Then Duo's soft whisper came through. "I'm really glad that I got there in time. Really. I don't know what I would have done if you had…" He trailed off. 

"Duo…" 

The braided prince did not seem to have heard Heero, for he continued, "Sometimes, I just remember that day, seeing you lying unconscious on the ground with bruises everywhere… and it really makes me scared. It was like a nightmare come true. Just like before…" He choked a little. 

Heero hesitantly wrapped his arms around Duo, if only to offer comfort. "Shh, Duo. I'm alright, aren't I? It doesn't matter anymore." 

Sobbing quietly, Duo pleaded forlornly, "You can't leave me, Heero. Don't leave me behind." 

Nodding, Heero stroked Duo's back gently. "I promise." 

"You know something? I used to have a very good friend who looked so much like you. Dark hair, and the searing blue eyes… They looked as if they could see into one's soul. So deep and endless. He was so good to me…" Duo sobbed harder. "But then one day, he became infected with a rare virus and fell into a coma. All night long, I sat beside his bed and talked to him, begging him to wake up. But he never did. Solo died, just like that." He pushed himself off Heero's chest and looked into his eyes. "Please, don't leave me like Solo." 

"I won't ever leave you, Duo. Never." 

Duo saw the genuine care in those enchanting eyes, and he finally smiled. 

***** 

Heero lay on his bed, eyes staring at the ceiling. It was late, but he wasn't really sleepy. Too many thoughts were racing around his mind in circles. That way Duo had talked to him in the pavilion, Heero had felt so important and happy that Duo was willing to share that piece of his past with him. Trust was building up between them. And the way Duo felt in his arms… it felt so right. Like they were missing pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and now they had found the other piece. And then there was the voice. Duo's voice sounded like music in his ears, so sweet. His eyes too, so captivatingly enchanting. Heero felt that he could drown in those endless pools of violets forever. But he didn't like the wistfulness in his tone and those tears in his eyes. He wished he could kiss those tears away and make that wistfulness disappear. 

Heero closed his eyes, and images of a violet-eyed, braided angel fluttered in and out of his mind's eyes. Dreams flooded his mind, overwhelming his senses. In his dreams, he was holding the beautiful angel in his arms, engaged in a deep and passionate lip-lock. Duo returned the kiss eagerly, kissing Heero with all his soul. Cupping his cheeks, Heero caressed his face gently. "Duo…" He leaned forward to kiss the beautiful creature again. Duo's moans excited him so, he wanted to hear them everyday for the rest of his life. Duo gazed up from below him, passion clouding his eyes. Panting from their kiss, Duo whispered, "I love…" 

"Heero!" A voice called out and pulled him out of his wonderful dream. Heero felt like punching whomever it was who woke him up. Until he noticed it was Duo kneeling beside his bed, face marred by a frown. 

"Duo?" 

The said boy gazed at him. "Heero…" 

Heero noted the sensual way his lips moved, and almost leaned forward to press those lips against his. Like they had in his dreams. Then he stopped himself, blushing. 'What am I thinking?' He berated himself. 'I'm not even sure how he feels.' Pushing those thoughts aside, he asked, "Why are you here? It's late, you should be sleeping." 

"I… I couldn't sleep. Then I thought you might be still awake, so…" 

Heero nodded. 

"I was gonna leave, but then you called my name, and I thought that you were awake. But then when I came up to your bed, I saw that you were asleep and you were smiling, and even panting. So I thought you were feeling unwell… Sorry I woke you up." Duo admitted. 

Heero blushed. Duo had heard him say his name? Belatedly, he wondered what else he had heard. It was just too embarrassing. The boy whom he had dreamt of kissing was just beside him when he woke up. What could be worse? Well, there was. Blushing even harder, he hoped that Duo wouldn't notice just how aroused he was. Trying hard to maintain his composure, he choked out, "You… you wanna talk?" 

"You don't mind?" 

Heero shook his head. But he almost regretted his decision when Duo scooted closer to him, so close he was afraid that Duo might notice his arousal. At the same time, he secretly thanked every god he could think of, for granting him this chance to be this close with Duo. 

Then Duo broke him out of his trance. "Heero, have you ever fallen in love before?" 

"Love?" 

"Uh-huh. Have you?" He prodded. 

Heero looked away for a moment, his mind trying to work out an answer that would satisfy Duo and yet not lie to him. He didn't like the idea of lying to the braided boy. His heart eagerly supplied him with an answer. 'Yes, I have. I'm in love right now, with you…' But the rational part of his mind stopped that from spilling, from fear of rejection and heartbreak. 

"Heero? Have you?" Duo repeated his question. 

Heero looked at him, then replied, "Yes, I have." 

"Have you told this person?" 

Heero shook his head. "No." 

Duo frowned. "Why?" 

"I'm not sure how this person feels about me." 

"Oh Heero!" Duo sighed. "You've gotta be honest with your feelings! If you love someone you say it. You say it right then, out loud…or the moment just...passes you by. And true love is something that comes only once in our lives!" 

Hoping to change the topic before Duo knew too much, Heero asked, "What about you? Ever fallen in love?" 

"Me? Well, I think so. I'm not sure." 

"Not sure?" 

Duo smiled sheepishly, "I guess I was too young to know any better. I liked Solo a lot, but I'm not sure if that was love or was it just friendship. And then, there was sis." 

"Harle!?" Heero choked. 

The braided boy nodded. "Yup, sis. I've always admired her, and hoped that I would someday be like her. Strong, powerful, clever, caring… But after some time, I realised that the feeling I held for her was the longing I've always had since young. The longing to one day have a sibling to care for me, to play with, to talk to. I love her like a sister." 

"Oh." Heero let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding. Suddenly, a streak of lightning flashing across the sky, followed by a loud clap of thunder. 

"AHHHH!" Duo shrieked, and latched onto Heero's arms. The sheer force pushed Heero down onto his bed. 

"Duo?" 

"Oh my god, this is so freaky." Then he pushed himself off Heero's chest. "I'm sorry, I've always been afraid of the storm. It just reminds me of a lot of bad things." He was about to get off, when another clap of thunder caused him to jump back onto Heero. Another followed, and Duo snuggled into Heero's warm embrace as he shivered. The dark haired boy wrapped his arms protectively around Duo's waist, and whispered soothing words in his ears, "Shh, it's ok. I'm here. Don't be afraid." 

Duo nodded, and he tried to get up again. However, the next clap of thunder caused him to jump onto his friend again. And this time, by some quirk of fate, Duo's lips caressed his cheek. It was a dry peck, nothing more. He pulled back immediately, blabbering, "I'm sorry, Heero. I'm sorry…" Then the thunder sounded again, and he nestled his head in the crook of Heero's neck with a shout. Heero tightened his hold on the fey creature, and cooed, "Duo, you wanna sleep here tonight, or do you want me to walk you back to your room?" 

Shakily, Duo breathed out, "I… I think I'll stay." 

Heero thanked the gods for answering his prayers. He stroked Duo's back gently, "Go to sleep Duo. I'll be here in the morning." 

Duo didn't answer. Only a soft snoring answered him. He raised an arm to cup the cheek that Duo had accidentally kissed just then. He decided that the next time, it would not be an accident. Smiling, Heero pressed his lips against the prince's head. "Sleep well, Duo." 

Then sleep claimed him. 

***** 

In a room nearby, Quatre clutched his chest. 

"What's wrong, Quatre?" 

The blonde looked at his lover, wincing. "Trowa, I fear something's going to happen soon. This storm… it's so bizarre. We're in a desert. How can it rain so suddenly and so heavily? And the thunder and lightning? It's like it's some kind of bad omen, foretelling the things that will be coming our way." 

Trowa wrapped his arms tighter around Quatre. "Don't worry so much. Some things just happen. We can't stop them from coming, but we can make it better. Besides, this might be just an ordinary storm." 

"I hope you're right." Quatre replied, although his frown revealed that he didn't believe it. 

***** 

Wufei set down the book he had been reading, and rose to close the windows. Looking out of the window, he saw the rain pouring down in sheets, and the massive bolts of lightning streaking across the sky. The wind screamed in his face, coldness seeping into his spine. He sensed a feeling of foreboding and premonition, and an air of evil spreading. What was going to happen? 

Brushing those feelings aside, he returned to his seat, and picked up the book to resume his previous activity. However, throughout the night, he felt that somebody was watching him. 

***** 

In the stables, the horses were huddled together to withstand the blistering cold. Although they tried to stay away from the rain as much as possible, the water kept splashing in. 

"What a storm!" Wing huffed. "I'm getting all wet." 

No one responded, not even Shinigami. Then, Nataku's expression turned solemn. "This storm… smells evil." 

Heavyarms nodded. 

"The last time it had stormed like this…" Shinigami trembled as she recalled. "Solo he…" 

The horses lapsed into silence. Shinigami didn't need to continue. They all knew what happened on that day. Solo had fallen into a coma, and died in the middle of the night. 

Sandrock frowned worriedly. "Nothing's going to happen… …right?" 

The others kept quiet, not knowing what to say. 

***** 

'Crack!' 

Harle let out a gasp, and ran over to her desk. Surprised, she held up the broken pieces of her jade amulet. There had been a very bright streak of lightning that flashed across the sky, and it lit up the night as bright as day. Then, she had heard a loud cracking sound of something. To her astonishment, the jade amulet Zechs handed to her years ago had crack, and broke into two separate pieces. 

Holding the broken amulet close to her, she gazed out into the storming sky. The howling winds and frosty rain chilled her soul, telling her the arrival of evil soon. It was a feeling so profound she could feel it in her veins. 

Speaking out loud to no one in particular, she asked, "Iz zis a message from you?" Then she frowned. "But w'ere are you now? Why can't I find you? Zechs…" 

Sorceress Fantasia @ 17th March 2001 

Beta read 10th August 2002 

**Author's notes: **_Yeah! Fourth chapter is finally finished, and the fifth is soon to come. But I'm getting tired of Harle's accent! I don't really know how is the accent like? Her appearances in the game itself is too short for me to catch much of that! Can anyone help me? T_T Either that, or I may just give up the entire accent idea and let her speak normally. Please give me a clue to how should I go about Harle's French accent. Please? *flashes puppy eyes*_

[1] Thundaga. Second level of the thunder spell. Taken from the Final Fantasy series. I don't own it. Don't sue. 


	6. Love will Grow

Title: Desert Rose Part V: Love Will Grow 

Author: Sorceress Fantasia 

Pairing: 1+2, 3+4, 5+M, 5+?, 13x6 

Warnings: Slight angst, evil Relena and Hirde, unsympathetic Trieze, OC, slight crossover (just borrowing one chara from Chrono Cross) 

Archive: http://www.gwaddiction.com/levlair/index3.htm

Disclaimers: I may own a lot of things, but the GW guys aren't included. So yeah, the characters do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun. Harle is a character taken from Squaresoft's Chrono Cross. She does not belong to me either. The song 'Love will Grow' is also property of Squaresoft. 

"Wake up, sleepyhead! Wake up!" 

He felt a playful finger poking at his ribs. Heero swiped the irritating finger away. Then he felt a slight nudge at his head. Sleepily, he flipped to face the other side. "Sc'am off an' le' me slee'…" He slurred. The person, not one to be deterred easily, continued his 'assault' on the poor drowsy boy. He leaned in close to Heero's ear and whispered. 

"Wake up! C'mon! Wake up, Heero!" The soft melodious voice rang out. It dripped with mock anger and a hint of amusement, as though the person was expecting this to happen. 

Heero groaned, oblivious to the command. The person raised his voice a little bit more, "Heero! Wake up now!" 

The somnolent Heero buried his head under his pillow in a desperate attempt to get his forty winks. The other boy pouted, but not discouraged. He stalked off to the window, and pulled up the curtains that were keeping the offending light at bay. Suddenly, rays of light spilled forth into the dark room. Then the boy walked back to Heero's bedside and with a bit of effort, snatched the pillow from the still-sleeping boy. Heero immediately responded by draping an arm over his eyes to shield himself from the glare. "What the heck…" he uttered under his breath. He didn't even have a chance to realise what was happening before he was glomped by a hyper vivacious boy. 

"C'mon wake up!" The boy jumped onto Heero gleefully, and shook him roughly by his shoulders. "Wake up!" 

Heero felt his world move vigorously, as though experiencing an earthquake that he supposed would register an incredible 7.8 on the Richter Scale. He quickly shouted, "I'm awake! I'm awake! Trust me, I'm awake!" Slowly, as he felt his eyes adjust to the light, he opened the bright orbs. The first thing he saw were pools of endless amethyst staring back at him. They were filled with warmth and passion, so very tempting. For a moment, Heero thought he was still in dreamland, and that the beautiful boy in front of him was just a figment of his imagination. Then he noticed the radiant smile that was plastered firmly on his face which was enough to light up the entire room, as it did with his heart. 

The angel spoke in a rich tenor voice, "Hello? Earth to Heero. Hello?" He waved one hand across Heero's line of vision in an attempt to see whether he was really awake. 

Snapped out of his trance, Heero mumbled a slurred, "Ohay', Du'." Feeling the lack of rest, he tried to trifle a yawn that threatened to break out, but failed. 

The braided prince smiled even wider. "Ohayo gozaimazu!" He chirped. Then his expression turned solemn. "How do you feel today? Are your injuries healing?" 

Heero nodded. "Hai. Don't worry about it, Duo. I'm fine. The medication you gave me works wonderful. Besides, it's already been days since the attack. I don't hurt that much now." 

"I'm glad to hear that." The braided prince let out a sigh of relief, and grinned, "I presume that you had a good night's sleep. You don't even want to get up!" 

Heero nodded slightly again. "Hai. Pretty good. The bed's too comfortable." 

Duo chuckled. "You have to. If you don't, your tummy's gonna go on strike." He joked as he poked his friend's stomach, then added, "By the way, I came to call you down for breakfast. You had better be quick. Don't forget sis' very strict about punctuality. If you're late, she'll clean up and you won't get to eat much. C'mon and go wash up already. As usual, I took a set of my own clothes here. Go wash up now. I'll wait for you here." Then he pulled Heero forcefully out of the bed and into the bathroom. 

Ten minutes later, a fully dressed Heero stepped out of the washroom. He was dressed to kill. Duo whistled in appreciation. 

"Wow! You look good." 

"Arigatou." 

Duo grinned. "Yer welcome." The braided prince capered to the door and flung it open. "Let's go down to the dining room now. I don't want them to wait." 

The cobalt eye boy merely nodded, then allowed Duo to take him by his hand. Although he didn't like the idea of being treated like an idiot who didn't even know how to go to the dining room, he liked the physical contact. But that was something meant to be a secret. 

***** 

"Ohayo~!" Duo chirped. 

"Ohayo." Heero said, with much less enthusiasm than Duo. 

The three seated at the rectangular dining table were already digging into their simple breakfast that consisted of some toast, eggs, sausages and jugs of orange juice. The blonde boy sat at one side with Trowa, while Wufei sat alone on the other. Quatre smiled warmly and replied in all politeness. 

"Good morning, Duo, Heero." 

Wufei and Trowa both managed a soft but still audible good morning. 

Pulling a chair, Duo flopped down onto his seat at the end of the table. He gestured for Heero to take the seat beside his. The cobalt-eyed youth sat down silently. As soon as his butt touched the chair, Duo poured out the orange juice into their glasses. Then they both started eating to their heart's content. 

Suddenly, Duo lifted his head up from his plate and scanned the area. Nope. No sign of her anywhere. Now just where is that cute harlequin? "Hey guys. Did any of ya see Sis?" He asked with a mouth-full of sausage. 

As if on cue, a familiar voice rang out, "Did anyone mention moi? Bonjour, monsieur Duo. You too, Heero." The jester walked into the room. Flitting across the room, she got to the table quickly and took her usual seat. 

"Ohayo, Sis!" 

She nodded. "Monsieur Duo, do you remember zat we have to pay our respectz to your mot'er after breakfast?" 

Duo gulped down his glass of juice, then replied, "Yeah, I remember. Does he have to go too?" He pointed a finger at Heero's direction. 

Harle answered as a matter-of-factly. "Of courze. Everyone sitting around zis table will have to go. It'z only polite to." Then she instructed the rest. "All of you, listen. Remember zat zis iz a formal occasion, so wear ze proper attire. Zen meet moi at ze gates of ze shrine. But do not enter before I do." 

"Aye Captain!" Duo mock saluted. "As usual!" 

Harle only smiled amusedly. 

Then, Duo popped in another piece of the toast into his mouth and quickly gobbled it down. Immediately, he jumped out of his cushioned chair, and tugged at Heero's clothes. "Let's go to my room. I'll show you my wardrobe. Ya havta choose another set clothes. Something more formal!" Heero started running as well to keep up with the braided boy. As they dashed along the corridor, he allowed himself an unseen little smile. 

As they disappeared from view, the rest at the table sweatdropped. They had known the prince for years, enough to know him inside out. Yet they had never seen this super eager and ardent side of him. At least not ever since their arrival here. That was good for their health though, they mused. Duo had shown more sides of him to Heero in a few days, then he had to the others in a few years. 

Quatre tried to ease the situation with a little joke. "Heh, isn't this a good sign? Duo does like Heero a lot. Our hard work's paying off." He sallied. 

"How true. He's never dragged *us* off like there's no tomorrow." Trowa remarked. 

"Now that's a blessing. I would never want to be dragged off that way." Wufei quipped. 

"Moi sentiments exactement." 

Suddenly, Duo dashed back. He rushed to the table, and quickly grabbed another toast. "Sorry guys! But I'm still starving!" Then he immediately sped off at top speed again. 

They sweatdropped again. 

"Someone oughta give him a speeding ticket." Wufei uttered, and the rest just nodded. 

***** 

Everyone knelt down in front of the marble statue of the deceased queen, their heads bowed low in silent prayer. Heero looked at the others in mild confusion, then quickly lowered his head as well. Harle lifted her head to gaze at the sculpture. Slowly, she got to her feet. Fishing in her pocket, she dug out a cerulean gem. Staring at it for a moment more, she ambled to the altar and gingerly placed the beautiful jewel onto a golden platter. 

"Moi queen," She murmured softly as she lay down the jewel, "Zis iz for you. Mon Trieze bought it juz for you." Harle paused, gathering her thoughts. "Anodder year haz passed, and your son iz a year older. Mon Duo haz matured, and become happier. W'at about you?" She muttered softly, barely audible. Then she nodded to Duo over her shoulders. 

Duo nodded in acknowledgement. "Mother, how are you now? I'm another year older today, but… you are still as young as I remembered you." He paused, closing his violet orbs in reminiscence of better times. "And as the years pass, I'm going to get older, while you mother, is going to stay young like this forever. Always the beautiful mother in my memory." The braided prince smiled, and continued to talk to his mother about his current life, his father, the others, and the horses. Finally, he stopped, and fell silent. 

Everyone else also said something to the late queen. Heero was the last to go. 

"Your majesty…" He wavered, unsure of what to say next. "…arigatou." And he said nothing more. 

**** 

As everyone filed out of the shrine, Duo quietly fell into step beside the dark haired peasant. He waited for the others to walk away, then glanced at his friend. 

"What do you mean? Arigatou? What for? What did my mother do?" 

Heero replied without hesitation, "For having a son like you." 

The prince blinked. Then he chuckled, and stopped in his steps, clasping his hands in front of his chest in a silent prayer. "Whoever you are, and wherever you are, thanks for giving birth to Heero." 

Heero's lips twitched faintly. 

***** 

"C'mon! There's no time to waste!" The white stallion chirped as he pranced into the library where everyone had stashed their presents. The rest sashayed casually to the table in the middle of the room where they settled down, and the horses stood beside their respective masters. Duo and Heero were the last to enter. 

"Happy Birthday, Duo!" Everyone smiled widely as they gave their best wishes. Quatre quickly pushed in a trolley with a cake on top of it. Stopping in front of Duo, he prompted, "Make a wish, and blow the candles!" 

Duo closed his eyes, and clasped his hands in front of his bosom. After several quiet moments, his eyes fluttered open and proceeded to blow the candles. Everyone clapped. "You're a year older today, Duo! What was your wish?" 

"Can't tell ya, buddy! Or else it won't come true." Duo stuck his tongue out at the excited white stallion. 

Carefully, Wufei handed the prince a knife to cut the cake. Soon, they polished off the creamy delight. But it wasn't over yet. 

Duo smirked. "So… as usual?" 

Quatre shook his head. "No, it's a little different this year. Our presents are hidden in this room, each in a different corner as usual. As for the eight different clues, they are all hidden in certain books instead of us telling you the clues straight away. We'll tell you which book it is, and the page number. But it's all up to you whether you remember where the book is." 

The prince groaned, slapping his head. Then his eyes landed on the amused boy beside him. He hooked an arm around Heero's, beaming at him. "What yer laughing at? That does it! C'mon, Heero. You're gonna help me find them all." 

Heero smiled faintly, then nodded. 

Wing neighed, "We'll go first!" 

"Yer not gonna give me a stack of hay like last year, are you?" Duo grimaced lightheartedly. 

Sandrock laughed, "Of course not! 'Sides, we didn't actually give that hay to you. It was just a joke!" 

"Okay, listen to this. Duo, our hint is between pages 60 and 61. The book is "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery [1]. Let's see if you can find it." Nataku cajoled. 

Duo took off to a shelf on the left-most corner of the library, where he started to scout for the book. Heero walked away to the other side to search. Within minutes, Duo pulled out the correct book with a wide grin. 

"I knew it! I knew it was here! I just read it a few weeks ago!" He flipped through the book immediately and soon found a slip of paper. "Where fireflies gather." Duo read aloud. He wheeled around to face the horses. "Whaddya mean by this? We don't have fireflies in the library!" 

They shrugged with a confident gleam in their eyes. Heero came up behind him. "Fireflies… Could it be the darkest part of the library?" 

Duo snapped his fingers. "That's right!" Then he grabbed Heero's wrist and dragged him to a dark corner. There, he was amazed to see a dim, but warm cozy light seeping through the murkiness. "Wow… this thing… it's beautiful…" He wheezed, admiring the beauty. The lamp was shaped in the form of a drooping bellflower, as though waiting for its chance to bloom. Duo turned to Heero with a smile, and leaned forward to embrace his friend. "Thanks!" 

Heero blushed faintly, but returned the embrace. Standing up, they strolled back to where the others were. 

"Thanks guys! This lamp's gorgeous!" The prince exclaimed. 

The horses smiled to each other in satisfaction. "It's called the Firefly Lamp, named so for its ability to light up automatically in darkness. The light may not be very bright, but it's enough to you to see." Heavyarms explained. 

"This thing's gonna keep you cozy at night." Shini winked. 

Setting down the lamp at the table, Duo and Heero went for the second clue. This one took much longer, for Duo couldn't remember ever reading the book. He even bypassed the shelf three times! Luckily, observant Heero was there to help. 

"What's this, Trowa?" Duo inquired, looking into the mirror. 

The said boy uncrossed his arms, and pointed at his present which was currently in Duo's hands. "This is the Moon Mirror. It allows one to catch glimpses of the person's past and, under the right conditions, his future as well. However, I do not know what the conditions are." 

"I see. Thanks for the gift. It's pretty." 

Next they found Quatre's present. It was a portrait of Duo. 

"Ya gotta be kidding. It doesn't even look anything close to me!" Duo exclaimed. The portrait was one of Duo with angel wings wrapped around him. Feathers surrounded him in the air, and his chestnut tresses were loose and buoyant. Those endless pools of amethyst glowed in a mystical manner, and he wore an enigmatic grin. The figure exuded nothing but seraph and sensuality. "It's too beautiful to be me!" 

"Why not? You *are* beautiful; it's just that you never noticed." Quatre retorted good-naturedly. 

As the rest quipped in randomly, Heero was certain of the answer. That figure in the painting was beautiful, but still, that wasn't Duo. The real Duo was even more beautiful than that. Even Quatre's skilful hands couldn't catch his effulgence. Just as he was pondering, Duo suddenly whirled around. 

"Saa! What do you think, Heero?" 

"…I think you're more divine than the painting." He answered truthfully. 

Duo blushed. "Do you… really think so?" 

Affirmative nod. 

Duo blushed harder. He quickly asked for the next hint and scampered off. Heero went with him. 

Wufei snickered. "Quatre? Did you see the expression on Duo's face?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Paint me a picture of that. It's classic!" He japed, invoking the others to laugh. 

Trowa's silent laughter subsided as he noted, "But that is proof that Heero likes Duo very much. Isn't that a good thing?" 

"Indeed." 

***** 

Duo felt the redness in his cheeks burning in the proximity of Heero. Finally, curiosity got the better of him. "Am I really that good looking?" 

"Yes you are, Duo. You are more alluring than anyone I have ever met." He replied without hesitation. 

The prince felt warmth oozing into his heart. But… "Are you saying this because I'm a prince? As a flattery?" 

Heero looked at him sincerely in his eyes. "No, Duo. I'm saying this as a man. I don't know what the others think, but in my eyes, you are that heavenly. Always that attractive." 

"… … …" Duo was at a loss for words. 

***** 

Soon, another present was uncovered. 

"It's the Tome of Magic, Duo. I thought that maybe you could learn some more advanced spells to help pass time." Wufei elucidated. 

And soon, they also found Relena and Hirde's present. Duo winced. Where did Hirde get the idea that he would enjoy soaking his lustrous locks in some gruel that smelled like durian? Eww. And Relena still didn't quite catch his numerous hints that he disliked pink. 

Trieze's present was an especially delicate one. It was a watch adorned with tiny sparkles of jewels. Duo was exceptionally gentle with this one gift, smiling like an idiot as he held it in his hands and admired the pocket watch. 

A great amount of time had passed before Duo and Heero were able to locate the last present which was given by Harle. And when they found it, both were shock to say the least. A most exquisite and dainty pendent hung loosely from one slender golden chain. The pendent was in the shape of a rose bud. It would have been more beautiful if it were in full bloom, but the closed petals mystified those looking at it. 

"Sis… this pendent… it's dazzling!" 

Harle smiled. "I'm glad you like it. Keep zis well." Then on second thoughts, she added. "Do you know why zis iz golden? It'z becauze it representz ze sand of ze desert. A single roze in a vast desert… Just like you, Mon Duo." 

"Desert… rose?" Duo echoed. 

***** 

Seated in his bathtub, Duo scooped up a handful of bubbles and gently blew them into the air. There was nothing he enjoyed more than a relaxing bubble bath. As he played around with the bubbles, his mind pondered on Harle's words. Him? A rose in a vast desert? What did she mean? Her next words were just as cryptic. 

_'One day, zat rose s'all bloom and lead uz into a new world. I am waiting for zat day to come, Monsieur Duo.' _

Bloom? Was she calling him a blooming idiot? Nah, can't be. Then what? Duo couldn't understand at all. 

And the way she looked at him as she spoke… it unsettled him in a way thunderstorms could not. It wasn't the type that he would go screaming in terror. It was the type you couldn't even scream because you'd lost your voice. 

Duo would wait. Wait patiently for the day the rose would 'bloom'. Somehow, he knew it wasn't far away. 

***** 

Dressed in his most elegant attire, Duo descended the few steps that separated him from Heero. He smiled radiantly, and Heero smiled back. Playfully, Duo did a little curtsey and latched onto his friend. 

"Come. They are waiting for us in the dining room." 

Dinner immediately commenced. Duo and Heero were seated at the two ends of a long table, but not long enough to keep their hearts flying to the other. The others stood a bit further, each holding an instrument. Quatre a violin, Trowa a flute, Harle a triangle, and Wufei was at the grand piano. Some of the monsters in the castle also lent a helping hand and played various other instruments. They played song after song, granting the room a tranquil atmosphere. The horses clattered their hooves on the ground softly, acting as the percussion. Shini and Sandrock were exceptions from the great orchestra. They filed in gingerly, bringing in baskets of food that hung at their sides of their saddles. 

The sumptuous meal quickly ended as Duo led the astounded boy into the grand ballroom, laughing all the way. The room was beautifully decorated, courtesy of Harle and Quatre. The crystal lamps that hung from the ceiling shimmered romantically. Marble tiles, white pillars, high painted ceiling. The room was ideal for a wonderful night of dancing. 

As Duo and Heero flitted into the room, the others followed. They quickly settled down at one corner, and prepared for their next song for the night. Harle gave them the signal to start, and the boys strummed up their gig. The music blended harmoniously into the night, as though the stars and moon were singing. It was soft at first, gradually growing in volume to bring out the atmosphere. The five horses trotted gently into the ballroom and quietly settled down beside the musicians. They listened on attentively as the melody continued. 

Duo delicately led Heero's arm onto his waist, and the other on his shoulder. He wrapped his own arms around the boy's neck. Slowly, with careful steps, they swayed to the lovely music. Their eyes met and locked. 

Heero almost couldn't breathe. Duo was ravishing, gorgeous, enchanting, bewitching… No! Those words couldn't do him justice. Duo's beauty could not be described with mere words. His beauty was to be felt with the heart. No artist could capture his radiance; no photographs could relive his exuberance. Only when one was with Duo could one feel his true beauty. His heart, his soul, his everything. Everything of Duo Maxwell was a sight to behold and never to be forgotten. And when Duo smiled, Heero almost died. 

Duo found himself gazing into pools of cobalt blue that knew no end. Yet on the surface, he could see the glittery reflection of himself. Seeing himself through someone's eyes… From the few days that Heero had arrived, Duo felt himself pulled towards the strange boy everyday by an unknown force. A force that told him he could no longer leave him alone. It was like he was drowning in a pool of confusion, and Heero was his only lifeline that let him stay connected to the real world. But he had only been with him for a few days! Feelings know no boundaries, he reasoned. A companion, a friend, and perhaps something more. Duo smiled. 

Harle looked at the two drowning in their fantasies. At least they were thinking of each other, but there were no actions taken. She would have to take it into her own hands. The jester girl turned back to her companions and nodded. The boys and their horses nodded in affirmation. Plan B starting. 

The euphonious symphony continued, but the song slowly switched over to an even slower, more romantic tune. Wing started the ball rolling. With his mind-linking powers, he induced an imaginary setting for the two. At the gardens of the palace, the place where they both loved so much. Blooming flowers released their fragrance, the aroma scenting the night. Stars glowed in the skies above them, shining down upon them. The two danced slowly, all the while gazing into the other's beautiful orbs. 

Next up was Shinigami. With the aid of the enchanted necklace Harle gave, she too induced her own illusionary world. Duo and Heero found themselves dancing in the skies. Glamorous stars sparkled all around them. Heero found himself wanting Duo when he saw Duo's face highlighted by the dim lights. Duo thought the same. The scene was moving, and suddenly, they were beside the silvery wheel. Harle called upon her own powers to help this time. With a little spell, the moon glowed even more brightly. Suddenly, a rain of shooting stars went whizzing pass them. 

One by one, the horses conjured up various illusions, each magically enchanting, for the two dancing figures. Slowly, but surely, the two were sinking into a sea of emotions and neither of them wanted to get out. Ever. As long as they were together… 

Finally, they were back at the ballroom. Harle snapped her fingers once, and the lights slowly dimmed. She snapped once more, and the lights stopped dimming and maintained the darkness. In the duskiness, all they could see were each other. As though that was what they lived for. Passionate violets met burning cobalt. 

Seeing the effects of their meddling, the symphony played their final song. Putting down her triangle, Harle stepped forward. It was time for the grand finale. With a rich alto voice, Harle joined in the sweet melody. 

_Love will grow.  
And nothing comes in the way.  
It's true that love is here to stay.  
All we have to do is to face tomorrow.  
Love will grow.  
There's no need to run and hide.  
It's true we've always been so slow.  
Should I tell you now what's been burning inside? _

_Darling, strange days are over.  
Fears and tears, they're all gone.  
This is the very beginning.  
Now the world is meant for you and me. _

_Love will grow.  
There's one thing I'm sure of now.  
I know that we'll give no more sighs.  
Love is to us true-blue and there's no sorrow.  
Love will grow.  
Come what may, we'll never part.  
Let's hold on tight to dreams of ours, _

_even though we've still got a long way to go. _

_Darling, strange days are over.  
Fears and tears, they're all gone.  
This is the very beginning.  
Now the world is meant for you and me. _

The song was climbing to its climax. Their hearts rose several notches. Duo and Heero felt their hearts swell at the pure bliss of being together. 

_See how the day has just broken,  
Oh so fresh from the world.  
See how the brand-new sun's coming up.  
Let it now shine on me,  
Shine on you! _

Suddenly losing control, Heero found himself leaning in. Duo met him halfway. Their lips touched, and parted in surprise of the wave of sensations that ran through their bodies in that split second of contact. However, when their eyes met again, they knew what they wanted. Lips touched once more, and tongues meshed together. They ignored the tingling sensation and bolts of thrills running through them as they leaned in even closer. As their bodies brushed against each other, they moaned into their kiss. 

_Love will grow.  
And nothing comes in the way.  
It's true that love is here to stay.  
All we have to do is to face tomorrow. _

The music came to a halt. But the two boys were totally oblivious to it. They continued to kiss as though nobody else were around. Smirking knowingly, Harle and Quatre motioned for the others to file out quietly. 

***** 

Duo meandered to the balcony overseeing the gargantuan garden he so loved. Heero followed silently. The stillness of the air brought the chirping of mating crickets up to their level. Celestial beings shone high up in the dark night skies. 

"Heero… did that kiss… mean anything?" Duo gazed up into the brilliant night sky, unwilling to face his friend- or something more?- lest he saw anything that told him otherwise. 

"…yes, Duo… it does." Heero assured. "It means that… I love you." 

Heero's voice caressed Duo's face like a whisper on the wind. He turned around slowly, tears welling up in his eyes. "You love me…? But… what about her? Didn't you say that are in love with someone that night?" 

The dark haired boy took a step forward, and gingerly brushed away Duo's tears. "Baka." 

Duo's head snapped up, caught in a deep frown. 

Heero's hands fondled his cheeks with a smile in his eyes. "That someone is you, Duo. It's you that I love." 

The braided boy bit his lips as all his doubts fled him. He leaned into Heero's warm embrace, feeling truly happy, the first in a long time. "I love you too." 

Unbeknownst to both, the rose pendent Harle gave Duo had started to bloom, its petals opening a little. 

Sorceress Fantasia @ 6th June 2001 

Last revised 8th June 2001 

**Author's notes**:_ Yea! Another chapter done! Thanks for all the encouragement you readers have given me! _

[1] "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery: It's a really good book. Go read it if you haven't.


	7. Yami ni Shizumu (Sinking into the Darkne...

Title: Desert Rose Part VI: Yami ni Shizumu (Sinking into the Darkness) 

Author: Sorceress Fantasia 

Pairing: 1+2, 3+4, 5+M, 5+?, 13x6 

Warnings: Slight angst, evil Relena and Hirde, unsympathetic Trieze, OC, slight crossover (just borrowing one chara from Chrono Cross) 

Archive: http://www.gwaddiction.com/levlair/index3.htm

Disclaimers: I may own a lot of things, but the GW guys aren't included. So yeah, the characters do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun. Harle is a character taken from Squaresoft's Chrono Cross. She does not belong to me either. 

Note: From this chapter on, there will be heavy usage of spells and other weapons. Most, if not all, are taken from RPGs I have played, so none of them belongs to me. 

Trieze slumped into his chair, hands messaging his temples. Frowning, he tried to take in several deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. Feeling better, he opened his eyes again. What he saw made the headache come back. He stared hard at the stacks of papers piling up like mountains on his desk, willing them to burst into flames spontaneously. Yeah, that would be good… 

On second thoughts, better not. A fire would most probably only delay him further, what with him having to stay behind to redo the documents that the fire had happily engulfed. In addition, everyone would fuss over him, impeding him even more. With a sigh, he continued with his work. The faster he finished, the sooner he could go visit his son. 

Glaring at the amount of work, he knew he would be lucky if he could finish by the end of the month… Worse of all, that was already the minimum time he needed. He didn't dare to think of the maximum. But, he would do anything for his son. He missed Duo desperately, after staying away for more than half a year. 

His zeal to see his son after such a long time skyrocketed after numerous nightmares that involved Duo running away with someone. He couldn't see who the person was, for his face was but a blur to him. But it didn't matter who was it. The only thing that mattered was what he did. To his son, to him. No one would ever get away with escaping with his son! 

Every nightmare left Trieze waking up in terror, hands clutching his sheets as he panted. Was that an omen? A premonition? It couldn't be anything good. He *had* to go check up on Duo. His son. His only son. His only son with Zechs. For that alone, he would do anything to keep his son. 

Of course, he had to keep an eye on that sly harlequin… 

***** 

Relena paced in her room, stomping up and down in an uptight manner. There was something off with something she didn't know, and she couldn't put her finger on what was amiss for whatever it was. Her mind was swimming in a sea of confusion, and there was almost nothing she hated more than that. 

Making up her mind to calm down, she slid into her highly padded chair. Her eyes settled onto the crystal ball sitting so innocently on a pink cushion on her table. Well, she could just take a peek at what Duo was doing. After all, that joker did make her boring days more tolerable with his tears provoking antics. Some of those clowning around pulled her into her memories. Those good old days when her brother was still alive. Zechs had always laughed at his son's jokes, even if some of them weren't all that funny. Sometimes, he would even encourage Duo to joke more often, saying that he wanted Duo to always smile because it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. 

More often than not, Zechs persuaded her to be less serious sometimes and relax as well. Though not always willing, she had always tried her best. Relena did everything Zechs asked her to, because she adored the man who had taken her off the streets and gave her a home in the palace, adopted her as a sister, and trained her to become a powerful sorceress. Relena knew she owed all her success to Zechs. She would never forget his benevolence. Never. However, when Harle arrived, Zechs started to spend more time with her, almost forgetting about Relena. Even on his deathbed, he remembered Harle, giving her all the responsibilities regarding Duo. 

Relena gritted her teeth as she thought of Harle, then banished the thoughts. She couldn't be distracted from a spell. 

She closed her eyes, hands moving to hover over her crystal ball. Focusing a burst of pure energy on it, Relena chanted a spell. Slowly, an image appeared. It was blur at first, but as Relena's powers increased, the image became clearer. Gingerly, she opened one eye to see. All she saw was a mob of brown and piercing cobalt. Relena frowned, then concentrated on the magical aura around her crystal ball. Suddenly, she was thrown back into a wall as she heard a strident blast, like a scream in an explosion. Shakily, she pushed herself off the ground with a groan, biting her lips. Running a careless hand across her face, she flinched at the sight of gaudy red liquid. Looking closer, blood was also dripping from her hands. Scowling, Relena glanced at her table. All that was left there was a swirling white mist, and shards of glass scattered around the entire room. 

As she stood at the side of her room, sagging heavily against the stonewall, she clenched her fist while the other stole up to her chest, feeling the painful throbbing of her heart. The room was silent except for her harsh pants and the dripping of blood as they pooled around her. 

***** 

Purplish black hair, blue eyes, pink lips, perky nose… Hirde knew she was attractive. Her identity as a sorceress never dampened that fact, instead enhancing her mysterious aura. She was much sought after by men of every background, yet none had ever been able to capture her heart. That was, until she met him for the first time. 

Duo. The handsome prince who had a beautiful soul to match his outward appearance. After meeting him, Hirde had never looked at another man straight in the eye. Not that she didn't dare to. Oh, she could kill a man in at least ten different ways, each more gruesome than the last, if she wanted to. No, she didn't because she loathed seeing their ugly faces. No one could look better than Duo. 

A smile graced her lips as she thought of that bouncing braided wonder, and suddenly she had an overwhelming urge to see him. Ambling to her mirror hanging on the wall, she mused whatever could he be doing. But that was secondary. Just seeing him would be enough. That thought alone made her go jelly in her legs. Hirde swore that Duo ooze sensuality in every little action he did, something she was sure Duo didn't know himself. And perhaps that was the reason why that jester hovered around him like some eagle on the prowl. She was surely looking for ways to keep Duo for herself. No way was Hirde allowing that to happen. Duo was hers, past, present or future. 

She snapped her fingers, the snap resounding hollowly in the crisp air. A white light appeared in the center of the mirror, radiating as the image became sharper. Hirde smiled a lopsided grin, her eyes glinting from the light and from the sight of Duo. The braided boy was prancing around in the garden, like a butterfly dancing amongst flowers. Another figure joined him. Dark hair, green shirt… he didn't look like anyone in the palace. Hirde chanted another spell to get a closer look. 

Abruptly, a thin line appeared at the corner of the mirror. It was gradually joined by other chinks that materialized out of the blue in various parts of the magic mirror. They lengthened quickly, crisscrossed like a spider web, blue beams seeping out. Hirde gasped, raising one hand to her face. As the illumination brightened to a blinding light, she snapped her eyes shut in fear. She could hear the cracking, and the magic object finally shattered, the pieces falling to the ground. Yet the shards of glass never reached the floor, bursting into dark purple flames in mid fall. 

The impromptu combustion hurled Hirde into her table, smashing it. Precariously, she force herself to sit up, one hand still pushing against the ground for support. She gritted her teeth, feeling the metallic taste in her mouth. A lace of blood flowed out of her tight-pursed lips. The sorceress drew in a trembling breath, wincing as she felt her lungs rebel. She tried to stand up, only falling flat on her face when her legs gave way. 

Knowing she had to get help, Hirde pushed herself up again, this time leaning against the wall. Slowly, she made her way out of the room. 

***** 

Blink. Blink. Blink. 

White… Blinding… Can't see… Block it out… 

"Sorry, I should have thought about this." A distinct sound of windows slamming. Footsteps closing in. "Are you feeling better?" 

'Who?' She wondered, as she felt herself being lifted up into a sitting position. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Voice raspy, she asked, "Who? What happened?" 

"Minor explosion." 

Blink. Blink. "Sally?" 

"Yes, it's me." The said woman replied, and pushed a goblet filled with sweet smelling liquid to her mouth, asking her to drink it. "Feeling any better?" 

"Yeah… I guess so." 

Sally took the goblet, and walked over to a large wooden table that was lined with various bottles and jars. The conspicuous odor of herbs that almost made Hirde flinch filled the air. 

"What happened again? Explosion?" 

The royal physician turned around, crossing her arms as she leaned against the table. "You don't remember anything?" 

Silent nod. 

"Perhaps you hit your head harder than I thought… I'll give you another check-up later. Anyway, it seems that your mirror somehow broke, and threw you across your room. You managed to get out into the corridor, but you lost consciousness and collapsed. The guards brought you here." Sally explained. "Whatever happened? Is this anti-magic day or what?" 

Hirde was taken aback. "What?" She frowned. 

"I'll take it from here, Sally." A voice rang out from the doorway. 

"Relena!?" Hirde sputtered. Her friend was covered in bandages almost everywhere. Even her head had one wound around it. 

"I'll leave you two to talk alone, then." Sally shrugged, and left her little clinic. 

Once she left, Hirde asked again, "Relena, what in the world…?" 

The blonde girl sat down on the bed beside Hirde's, and sighed, "My crystal ball broke, and flung me into the wall. I heard about yours. Your mirror shattered, and threw you onto your table." 

"So that's why I feel like my mind's been spinning out of orbit." Hirde moaned, rubbing her temples. "And why Sally asked me whether this was anti-magic day." 

Relena nodded. 

"But why? I mean, how could this happen? Crystal balls and magic mirrors aren't supposed to just *explode* like that! And we are two of the most accomplished sorceresses in this kingdom! Who can do this?" The dark haired witch growled. "If I get my hands on that wretched person, I swear he or she's going to be barbeque kebab before he or she can say 'help'!" 

"… …There is someone who can." Her companion murmured. 

"Who!?" Hirde looked like she was getting ready to curse that person who had been unfortunate enough to incur her wrath. 

"Harle." 

Silence. "…She…? Impossible. She isn't even a sorceress." Hirde rolled her eyes in exasperation. Had Relena forgotten about that? 

"True, but she's got magic." 

"Magic?" Hirde blinked in wonder, then shook her head as her thoughts cleared. "No, it can't be. If she had, she would have lifted Duo's curse. She would be powerful enough to, if she could do *this* to us." She spat bitterly, grimacing as pain lanced through her body. 

"Exactly." Relena tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, before she leaned forward with a cold smile that would freeze even Shiva[1] , the goddess of ice. "So why doesn't she do it? I say she's hiding. The enigma's been hiding so many things from everybody I wouldn't be surprised if she's a magic user too." 

"But if she's a sorceress, why can't we feel her magic aura? I don't even sense the tiniest bit of enchantment in her! " 

"Doesn't that just prove how powerful she is? She can hide her magic so well that she escapes detection from even us! Like you said earlier, we are two of the most accomplished sorceresses in the kingdom. If *we* can't detect Harle's aura…" 

"… …You've got to be kidding, 'Lena." 

"Never at a time like this, my dear." 

***** 

"So, what's on the agenda today? Are we gonna play? Or can I learn new spells? Guys!!! Tell me what can I do! Quick, give me suggestions~! I need something to do~!" Duo whined, pouting when no one answered him. It was such a bright, sunny day. He couldn't believe all everyone wanted to do was sit in the main chamber and spout roots. 

Quatre and Trowa had caught the music bug, and were busily playing the violin and flute respectively. Occasionally, they would stop and make a few changes to the score that they thought would improve the piece. 

The politician of the group, Harle, was curled up on a snug couch while going through papers Trieze had handed her the last time she was at the palace. It was something about constructing a dam across the Sca River, and he was asking for Harle's opinion. 

Wufei, the ever scholar, was reading a book with a plot that was probably longer than Duo's hair. He made no acknowledgement of the prince's words as he continued to read, totally absorbed into a world of philosophy. 

Apparently, the Chinese boy's obsession was infectious, for Heero was rapt with Duo's birthday present, the Tome of Magic. He had shown a great interest in the matters of magic and enchantments since his first spell, and Duo wasn't about to stop that for his lover's safety. 

But the boredom was getting to him. "Guys~!!!" 

With a huff, Wufei slammed the book he was reading onto the table, causing everyone to look up. He glared at the prating youth calmly, yet with a crafty air. Instead of carping for justice, he merely started muttering. 

Heero, who was within hearing range, quickly stood up and grabbed his lover's waist. "Wufei, save up on that silence spell." Before Wufei could say anything, Heero had caught Duo's lips in a deep lip lock. Slowly, he lifted the braided bundle into his arms and carried him away. 

The Chinese boy felt like a deer caught in headlights. His face burned hotly. 

"Wufei, the method you chose is efficient, but crude." Quatre giggled dizzily. "But…" 

"…Heero'z met'od iz even more efficient and deliciouz…" Harle piped, grinning. 

"…by Duo's standards." Trowa finished, pokerfaced. 

Silence reigned for a moment, then they all burst into bouts of giggles and laughter. 

Still chuckling, Harle slid off the settee and picked up her papers. "Well, I'd best be off, non? I'll be at my room if you need moi." Finished, she left the room quietly. 

"I suppose I'll go to my room too." Wufei rose, and left as well. 

Smirking, Trowa gazed at the Arabian boy beside him. "We're alone now…" 

Quatre smiled, but didn't reply. 

***** 

Duo felt himself lowered into Heero's old bed, as the room was closer to the main chambers. He could smell the distinct smell of his lover's body within the sheets, and he sighed contentedly. For a moment, he was so sure Heero would climb into bed with him and well, have fun with him. The next thing he knew though, annoyed him to no end. 

"Heero! What are you doing!?" 

The said boy looked up from his book as he sat comfortably in his chair. "Reading." 

"But Heero!" 

Heero didn't answer him, merely frowned and held up the book and asked, "Duo, did you tear off the pages?" 

"No. Maybe that spell is dangerous, so Wufei tore it off. But I don't care what's with the book! Heero, come over!" Duo slammed his fists into the bed, like a child throwing a tantrum. "Come over this instant, or you'll be sleeping alone tonight!" He threatened, after Heero ignored his whining a second time. 

Ten minutes later, Duo was in euphoria. Violet orbs fluttered closed of their own volition. His lithe frame was pulled close to Heero's bulkier one. He could feel the presence of stars behind his closed eyelids, and the almost painful exertion of force on his lips. Yet he didn't mind. He wanted more. Craved for… yearned for… hungered for… He loved the way Heero kissed him. It made him feel light and warm. 

Heero stopped. Duo would have griped, but Heero pulled him into his laps and wrapped his arms around him tightly. "Shh." He started stroking his koi's long hair, knowing how much he loved it. Heero smiled when he heard a sound that vaguely resembled a purr. 

Duo snuggled closer, not resisting the urge to purr like a kitten. He always felt safe in Heero's arms. The warmth reminded him of that night on his birthday, when they had professed their love to each other. After that confession, they had spent the rest of the night together in Duo's room, but they didn't consummate their relationship, content with just cuddling. It had been already one amazing month since that night, but Duo still remembered it like it was yesterday. Ever since that night, Heero moved into Duo's room where they spent their nights together. The nights were chaste enough, and during the day, they would occasionally slip into a room to steal a couple of kisses. But nothing more. Duo was more than happy with this arrangement. He couldn't bring himself to do more just yet. At least, his father had to know. 

But then again, once he knew, he would most probably throw Heero into the desert, or worse still, Heero would become dragon feed. It was worrying, but the way Heero was petting him was shoving all those worries to the back of his mind. 

***** 

Wing and the other horses gaped awkwardly at the group of people standing at the castle gates. For a moment, they tried the old method of pinching to wake themselves from the nightmare, then remembered that they were horses and had no fingers. As Sandrock welcomed them rather gauchely, Wing immediately galloped away. 

Once the wooden gates loomed into sight, he sped up even more. With a strong stomp of his fore legs, the white stallion burst into the castle. Using his mind contact, he willed his thoughts over to Quatre. 

'Quatre! Quatre! The king is here! The king is here!' 

***** 

Crash! 

"Did you hurt yourself, little one?" Trowa asked anxiously, immediately grabbing Quatre's hands for inspection, while sweeping the broken bits of glass that was a teacup away with his feet. 

Instead, Quatre grasped Trowa's hands and exclaimed, "Trowa! The king is here! King Trieze is here!" 

"What?" It was the Latin boy's turn to be dumbfounded. 

"What should we do? If he sees Heero…!" He almost choked on the last word, unable to imagine the disastrous consequences. 

Rising to his feet quickly, Trowa pulled his companion up as well. "Quatre, you go look for sis. I'll look for Duo and Heero. Quickly!" And he sprinted off without another word. 

The blonde boy nodded, and whizzed around, dashing for Harle's room like his very life depended on it. Perhaps it did. 

***** 

"Ahh, it's been so long, ne?" Relena beamed, as a bird landed lightly on her fingers. 

"Aa." Trieze smiled. Stopping in his stroll, he admired the majestic garden that was part of the castle his son had been living in for the past few years. It was magnificent, isolated and safe, a suitable place for Duo to live in until it was his time to be king. But he could tell that Harle wasn't about to let that happen. She was hatching a plan for Duo's escape. Even though she had let nothing slip, Trieze knew it somehow. If not for Zechs, he would have got rid of her ages ago. Unwittingly, he sighed as he thought of his long dead beloved. 

*Flashback* 

"Damn you Tallgeese. Damn my luck." Trieze snarled through gritted teeth. He didn't know how, but somehow, his steed had gotten them lost inside the woods after a wild run due to a scare by a little flying bat that had swooped down in front of it. "When we get back to the palace, I'm going to train up your guts. It's pathetic." His horse whimpered. 

With another mournful sigh, Trieze pulled the reins, prompting Tallgeese to move faster. After a few more minutes of getting even more lost, Trieze heard something. He hushed his horse and rolled down, steadily moving towards the source. Reaching it, he knelt down and gingerly pried the thick foliage apart for a peek. What he saw flummoxed him. 

Someone was sitting on the wet ground, surrounded by a circle of animals of many kinds. The person was speaking to them, but Trieze couldn't hear clearly. The animals were all looking at him, nodding or squeaking occasionally like they understood what the person was saying. Completely taken by the amazing sight before him, Trieze failed to notice Tallgeese had suddenly trotted towards that person. In its trot, Tallgeese had exposed its master by knocking him onto the ground. 

The animals quickly scampered away, while the birds flew off with an indignant squawk. The person tried to calm the animals, but to no avail. With a slight slump of shoulders, the person spun around to fix Trieze with a worried glance. 

Trieze was sprawled out on the ground, but he didn't dare to get up. If he did, he would be sure to wake up. Long blonde tresses, searing blue eyes, charming smile, lovely baritone voice… Most definitely a male. And a very attractive male at that. Trieze swore he had felt his angelic radiance. 

Seeing that Trieze was making no effort to get up, he rushed forward to help him up. "Are you okay?" 

The ginger haired king nodded, too stunned to speak. After he was sure his voice was still with him, he asked, "Who are you?" 

"What?" The blonde man smiled amusedly. "If you're asking for my name, you'll have to do better than that!" 

"Pardon me for my abruptness, young sir. I am Trieze Khushrenada. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?" Trieze bowed, pressing a little kiss to the other's hand. 

The man smirked, as though to say 'That's better!' "My name is Zechs. Pleasure to meet you." 

"Pleasure to meet you too." 

*End flashback* 

That was how they had met. After that, their friendship had blossomed into love and they got married. Trieze never questioned Zechs about his heritage, because he truly didn't care. He would marry him even if he were a lowly farmer. A year after their union, a son was borne to them. Duo was their love and joy, and both of them took great care in nurturing him to become a gentle and caring child. Although they had vowed to keep no secrets from the other, Trieze knew Zechs was hiding something from him. But he never asked, assured that Zechs would tell him when he was ready. Even so, he was always curious as to what could cause his beloved to occasionally stare worriedly into the skies. That curiosity was further fueled when Zechs brought a young girl back to the palace after a trip to the mountains. The girl was introduced to them as Harle, an orphan he had found on his trip. Trieze didn't really like the young lass. She was dressed up as a harlequin, and spoke in a most mystifying way. Surely, she would lead Duo astray. However, no matter what Trieze said, Zechs was adamant about adopting her. In the end, the king relented and Zechs made Harle Princess Harlequin, their daughter. Unfortunately, Zechs passed away soon after that. 

Even after all these years, Trieze still missed his beloved. As they entered the castle, he pushed those thoughts away from his mind temporarily. 

"Where's Duo?" He asked, noticing that his son was not there to welcome him at the door. Actually, only Wufei was present. "And the others?" 

"Your majesty, I'm afraid they're all in their rooms, for your arrival was too sudden." Wufei answered coolly, deadpanned. Only Nataku could tell he was in shock, and even a hint of fear. Well, he wasn't the only one. All the horses were just as terrified. 

"Are you trying to say that our visit is untimely, Wufei?" Relena snorted invidiously as she crossed her arms, looking at Wufei through the corner of her eyes. "Guilty of something, perhaps?" 

The Chinese boy snarled, and was about to retort when someone burst into the room. 

Trowa quickly bowed, "Your majesty." And he moved out of the way to stand beside Wufei. 

"Father!" Duo cried, and quickly bowed. His face was flushed as he panted heavily. "I apologize for not being here to welcome you earlier, but I was in my room reading…" 

"You're forgiven. Come, my son, let me see how much you've grown…" Trieze smiled, wiggling one of his fingers in tiny circles. 

The braided boy, knowing his father, turned around slowly. 

"I'm glad to see you're still healthy." 

Two more people entered, walking quickly. 

"Your majesty." Quatre wheezed, giving a quick bow before moving beside Trowa. 

"Enchante, Monsieur Trieze." 

"Pleased to see you too, Harle." But the slight raise of his eyebrow, which disappeared in a flash, spoke otherwise. 

****** 

Fifteen minutes later, all of them were seated in the dining room talking over some tea and tasty delights the kitchen had hastily cooked up. That is, all except the two sorceresses who were lurking around in the corners of the castle. Of course, they had told everyone that they were going to the library to retrieve something they had left behind the last time they were there. They wanted to laugh. Who would have thought that Harle would buy their story? Nevertheless, they didn't question their luck. 

The two combed room by room without using their magic, for fear that Harle might be able to detect them that way. Being accustomed to using spells and enchantments, performing a search like that for them was rather slow compared to normal people. Yet, they were just as thorough. Half an hour into their search, they ended up in a corridor filled with empty rooms. Duo's castle could have supported a small population by itself, yet only five people lived there, leaving a lot of rooms unused. However, this one they entered was different. 

Although none of the previous unused rooms were filled with cobwebs or filled with dirt, neither were they this clean. In fact, this room looked as though someone had been living in it before, and not too long ago too. The rumpled bedspread was an added valid proof. 

Relena and Hirde gave each other an acquiesce nod. 

***** 

Heero held his breath, pressing himself as close to the wall as possible. Every muscle was taut, his breathing was shallow. He shut his eyes. 

Deep inside, he knew he would be fine. Harle had told him to hide in this hidden tunnel when he first arrived to avoid detection. This tunnel was safe. It had to be. After all, he had holed up there when he was shunning his lover. If Duo couldn't locate him, who else could? Except Harle, that is. But Heero was sure she had better things to do than to find him at that moment. Yes, he was definitely safe. 

That seemed to be true, until he opened his eyes. 

He wasn't in the tunnel anymore. 

***** 

"Your majesty!" 

Almost everyone in the room winced at the shrillness of the voice that beyond doubt belonged to Relena. Harle's lips merely twitched. 

Seconds later, the blonde sorceress marched into the room, Hirde tailing behind. However, they didn't arrive alone. Following them were two hunks of sheer muscles that were the sorceresses' guards, and they were holding someone between them. They casually tossed the person onto the ground, in front of Trieze. 

"Heero!" Duo exclaimed, running up to the tied up boy. 

Trieze raised an eyebrow. "Who is this?" 

"Your majesty, we found this man hidden in one of the guest rooms." Hirde returned, as she gave a respectful bow. 

The king turned to face Harle. "Harle, who is this man? Do not lie to me. You are bound to know who he is." 

Harle took a sideway glance at Heero before she replied, voice never missing a beat, "Your majesty, hiz name iz Heero. He iz a traveler who lost hiz way, and stumbled upon our castle. I took him in becauze it iz against my principlez to not offer someone help if he iz in trouble. " 

"Why didn't you take him back to civilization?" 

"We were too far away from any." 

Trieze glowered, but his composure still spelt calmness. "We'll take him away then." 

"No!" Duo butted in, shouting. "Father, please let Heero stay! He's my…ouch!" Duo bit his own tongue, worried that he might have let slip his relation with Heero. 

"Duo!" Heero whispered, feeling more assured at Duo's nod. 

"Your what?" Trieze asked snidely. 

Duo gulped. "He's… my friend." 

"Your majesty! Please let Heero stay! He has been nothing but a good friend to Prince Duo since he arrived!" Quatre pleaded earnestly. 

"Quatre's right, your majesty. We all hope you can let Heero stay." Shini neighed. Everyone nodded nervously. 

Trieze shot daggers at them. "Quiet! I did not ask for your opinions!" He hollered, voice booming. Everyone took an involuntary step back at the diamond hard gaze. His normally cool, elegant sapphire chips had turned into the raging sea, threatening to swallow anyone foolish enough to stand in his way. Trieze turned to the two sorceresses, "Relena, Hirde, use a truth spell!" 

They nodded in return, and started chanting. Everyone else frowned, their hearts thumping against their ribcage. 

Heero moaned as the spell got to him, face contorted. 

"Heero!" Duo cried fearfully, before the two towering guards tore him away from his love under Trieze's order. Duo struggled against them to no avail. "Relena! Hirde! Stop this! Please! Father! Sis! Stop them!" 

Harle shook her head silently, raising one finger to her lips in a quiet gesture to hush the prince. But how could she expect Duo to calm down? Heero would surely be killed if they knew the truth! 

"Your majesty…" Relena said dutifully, "…it is done. The truth spell can last for only half an hour, so please hurry." 

Trieze walked up to the unresisting boy, circling him. "Tell me your name, young man." 

"Heero Yuy." Quatre and Wing felt a spasm of coldness shoot through them as Heero spoke. It was like he was a soulless puppet under manipulation. 

"Where did you come from?" 

"The Dark Woods." 

"What were you then?" 

"A woodcutter." 

"How did you arrive here?" 

"Wing took me here." 

At that, Trieze scowled at the white stallion. 

"Your majesty, I… I had gotten lost a few months ago and Heero found me… He took me in… thinking that I was an ordinary horse. After that, I…… found the way home while we were on a ride. I didn't want to… waste time taking him back to the woods first and lose my chance at getting back, so I… came back immediately." Wing stammered fretfully. 

Trieze snarled, but took his answer and went back to interrogating Heero. "Why didn't you leave?" 

"I didn't know how to go back to the woods and Quatre told me that we were too far from civilization." 

"……What is your relationship with Duo?" 

Duo's eyes widened perceptibly. 

Quatre frowned deeply, biting his lips. 

Trowa and Wufei held their breaths. 

Harle gazed at Heero. 

The horses drew close to one another, hearts caught in their throats. 

"I'm Duo's lover." 

They looked away resignedly, eyes shut tight. Duo slumped, falling to his knees. Only Harle continued to gaze at Heero, eyes betraying no emotions. 

Trieze's eyes widened as he clenched his fists. Behind him, Relena and Hirde gasped, looking like fishes out of water. "Throw him to the dungeons! He will be beheaded first thing in the morning!" He grounded through gritted teeth. 

"Father! Iie! Kudasai! I love him!" Duo cried, tears streaming down his face. 

Trieze twirled around. "You will be locked in your room! I will deal with you after him!" 

"And the rest of you," Trieze pointed at Harle and the others, "will be locked up in the underground chambers!" 

"Relena! Hirde! You two will stand guard at that man's cell!" 

"Yes, your majesty!" 

Everyone was led away into their various destinations silently, except Duo who was still weeping. 

***** 

Nighttime. 

Footsteps resounded in the corridor. The doors to the shrine creaked as they were pushed opened, then closed. 

"My beloved… Zechs… I miss you so much. How are you?" Trieze sighed, gazing longingly at the beautifully sculptured statue. "I came here to visit you and Duo, yet *this* had to happen." 

"Do you know what happened, my love? Duo has fallen in love with a woodcutter! Just how much more absurd can this get!? Our son, the prince, has fallen in love with a woodcutter!" He laughed mournfully. "And yet none of them stopped Duo! Even your daughter! Just what in the world were they thinking!?" 

Trieze sighed deeply. "Don't worry, Zechs. I will get rid of that woodcutter and get Relena and Hirde to cast a spell on Duo to let him forget about this. Harle, Trowa, Wufei, Quatre and the horses will all be punished severely, and they will also forget about all this. I am letting them stay alive on your account, Zechs. I know you loved them all. But if this happens a second time, all of them, including Harle, will never see the sun or moon again!" 

He stopped himself, trying to calm down. "My love… it is late. I shall come back tomorrow. When I do, all this trouble shall be no more!" With that, he whirled around and left the room. 

Back inside the shrine, a lone tear trekked down the statue's cheek. 

Sorceress Fantasia @ 5th December 2001 

[1]: Shiva is the ice goddess in the Final Fantasy series. She doesn't belong to me. 


	8. Isoge! (Hurry!)

Title: Desert Rose Part VII: Isoge! (Hurry!) 

Author: Sorceress Fantasia 

Pairing: 1+2, 3+4, 5+M, 5+?, 13x6 

Warnings: Slight angst, evil Relena and Hirde, unsympathetic Trieze, OC, slight crossover (just borrowing one chara from Chrono Cross) 

Archive: http://www.gwaddiction.com/levlair/index3.htm

Disclaimers: I may own a lot of things, but the GW guys aren't included. So yeah, the characters do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun. Harle is a character taken from Squaresoft's Chrono Cross. She does not belong to me either. 

Note: From this chapter on, there will be heavy usage of spells and other weapons. Most, if not all, are taken from RPGs I have played, so none of them belongs to me. 

With a huff of anger, Wing slammed his hooves down onto the metal grill of his prison. The metal rattled loudly, but still stood strong. He neighed in exasperation, and pushed off the bars, landing on his hooves. He frowned deeper than before, and started to pace around in small circles, like a cat chasing after its tail. His hooves continued to clatter. 

"Sit still, Wing! You're not doing us any good if you carry on walking around!" Shini hollered, clanking one hoof on the stone ground. 

He snorted, but obliged, settling down beside her. "It's not as if we can escape by sitting here…" He grumbled under his breath. The white stallion looked away indignantly when the black mare glared at him. 

"Knock it off, you two." Heavyarms reprimanded them softly. He wheezed, cringing from the dusty air in his cell, which was opposite of Wing and Shini's. "Are things not bad enough?" 

Wing scowled resentfully, "Then enlighten me. What are we supposed to do, oh Mr. High-and-Mighty?" 

"Think. With Relena and Hirde here, the odds are definitely against us if we try to escape by means of magic. They are sorceresses, and we are but amateurs. The only way, is to outwit them." Heavyarms answered coolly, cleverly choosing to ignore Wing's crude remark. 

Sandrock and Nataku nodded thoughtfully as they considered the idea. "I suppose you are right. But our magic abilities are weak, and mostly offensive. Although Shini can teleport, she cannot teleport over long distances. Thus, she cannot break us all out of here in time to prevent recapture. As for the rest of us, our powers are not powerful enough to even destroy these metal grills keeping us here, let alone overpower Relena and Hirde." The red horse said, analyzing the situation. 

Wing shook his head. "Enough of the information, Nataku. It's making me more depressed." 

"Ooh-la-la! Who haz offended my dearezt Wing?" 

"Harle!" The horses exclaimed, simultaneously getting onto their feet. 

The enigma placed a delicate finger over her lip, which were curled at the ends ever so slightly. 

***** 

Wufei sulked in a dark corner of his cell, bare threads of moonlight playing over his face. 

Quatre was surprised his friend hadn't sprung into a rant for justice yet, but it was just as well. He needed the silence to think. Calmly, he scanned the small chamber. The stone-lined walls were packed solid, and no cracks or crevices would be enough to let them pass through. Even with their magic abilities, it wouldn't be sufficient to break though them. The blonde sighed, and looked elsewhere. The metal grill provided yet another hurdle. Trowa's daggers could hardly make a dent in them, let alone slice through. The huge, steel lock was even more intimidating. Moreover, there were the bulky guards stationed outside, a little away from them. Sighing, he curled up by Trowa. 

Instinctively, the emerald-eyed boy wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders. 

Just as Quatre was giving up hope, he heard a voice ringing inside his mind. "Sis!" He cried, but Trowa quickly slapped a hand over his mouth. Giving his companion a nod, Quatre closed his eyes and tried to focus his thoughts, as Trowa removed his hand. 

'Sis! Where are you?' 

'Getting you out of zere.' 

Quatre frowned. 'How?' 

He could almost feel her smile. 'Like zis.' 

A section of the walls rearranged themselves, revealing an opening. Light filled the tunnel, yet strangely enough, none of it seeped into the prison cell. And in that passageway, gilt in golden light, stood Harle. Just as Quatre expected, a shallow smile hung on her lips, and she beckoned. 

"Come in." She stepped aside. 

The three, although astonished, wasted no time. They scrambled to their feet and entered. Seeing them disappear into another section of the tunnel, she stepped back inside, and the bricks went back to their original positions. 

The guards heard nothing. However, even if they did, they were too far into slumber to wake up. 

***** 

They stepped into the tunnel in awe. Jewels hung on the ceiling, bright enough to rival the light in daytime, illuminating the passageway. The walls were smooth to the touch, with precious stones of every shape and colour embedded deeply into the surface. Numerous diamonds at the sides lighted up the ground, each shimmering a cold glow. 

Soon, they reached a huge chamber, leading to another eight rooms. Each room was represented by one jewel encrusted at the top of the wooden door. Just as they were confused as to where to go, they heard some noises. In fact, it was someone neighing. 

Trowa raised an eyebrow, and stepped towards the sapphire room. Cautiously, he pushed the wooden door. 

"Wing? Shini? Wait… all of you are here? How?" Quatre exclaimed, jaws slack. 

Sandrock galloped up to his master, and nudged him gently. The blonde patted the horse just as gently. "Sandrock… I thought I'd never see you again…" 

"What's going on here?" With a careless swipe, Wufei brushed the strands of his dark locks which had fallen from his ponytail backwards. 

"Allow moi." Harle appeared, still smirking. The rest congregated around her, puzzlement clearly on their faces. 

She crossed her hands, and leaned against a wall. Her head was cocked to one side, as though telling them that it was a stupid question. "I'm surprized none of you expected zis. After all, I am ze one who designed zis castle. I juz added some… special featurez for moi convenience." 

Realization dawned on them. "Sis, but why all these tunnels? Had you expected something like this?" Quatre frowned. He felt a strange chilliness from the harlequin. It wasn't evil or malicious, yet it was an oddly calm chill. Near him, Wing shivered. Apparently, he had sensed it too. 

"It iz a long story. But honestly, I hadn't expected somet'ing *like* zis. I *expected* zis. From Heero'z arrival to this, hiz capture and soon-to-come execution. All of zem were in my expectationz. In fact, zere are part of moi planz." At their bewildered looks, she added, "Trieze haz become overprotective of Duo. I didn't want him to be stuck here all hiz life. So, I installed certain featurez into ze castle. Zis tunnels are the resultz. All ze areas wit'in zis castle iz connected via zis tunnels. I entered bot' of your cellz t'rough zis, did I not? W'en we are all safe, I will tell you more." 

"What's going to happen then? When Trieze discovers that we're missing, he's going to make Relena and Hirde find us. And what about Duo and Heero?" Nataku inquired, his eyes betraying his worry. 

"I want all of you to go back to your roomz, pack a few thingz, and come back 'ere. I will bring Duo to Heero. Zen, we'll meet 'ere and break out." 

"What about those two sorry excuses for human? Relena and Hirde are standing guard at Heero's cell." 

Harle shook her head in mock disappointment. "I am upset you never t'ought of zis." With that said, she reached into a little brown pouch fastened near her waist, and fished out a bottle of purple fluid. "How else did you t'ink why haz zere no commotion? I've put most of ze guards here to sleep wit' zis sleeping potion. King Trieze too. Zey won't wake up until tomorrow afternoon, at ze very least." 

"That will give us time to escape…" Wufei put his two cents in, eyes far off. No doubt, his mind was already formulating their escape plans. 

"And Duo's death spell?" Shini queried, face marred by a deep frown. 

"I have moi planz." 

***** 

Duo slammed a pillow into the stubborn chuck of wood blocking his path. It refused to budge. He picked up another pillow and flung it even harder against the door. A few other things soon followed, crashing loudly into the wooden door. But no one acknowledged his actions. Tiredly, he slumped to the ground. 

"Let me out…" He rasped, voice weak from shouting earlier. Forlornly, he slumped to the ground, eyes still wet and puffy. He slowly hugged his legs tightly and buried his face into his knees. "God, please… let me out…" 

"God can't save you now, monsieur Duo. But I might be able to help." A voice quipped. 

The braided prince snapped his head at the intruder, eyes widening. "Sis!" 

Harle hushed him softly, with a whisper. "Shh. Be quiet, Duo." 

"Sis… how? Why didn't I know of this tunnel leading to my room? From the dungeon, more so!" 

"For safety reasonz. Now, go pack your bag. Take only ze necessitiez, and not'ing more. But make sure you bring along ze Tome of Magic, ze Moon Mirror and ze pendent I gave you for your birt'day. We'll need zem later." 

"Sis, what about Heero? We're not gonna leave him here!" 

She sighed, "Of courze not. Get your bag, and we'll go find him." 

Duo nodded, and quickly went about looking for his things. Taking a random bag, he stuffed Wufei and Trowa's presents in first. Without a second thought, he packed the pocket watch Trieze had given him in as well. Hastily, he took a few pieces of clothing and other essentials. Duo finished packing under a minute, anxious for his love. 

"I'm done." 

Harle did an once-over, and asked, "Where iz ze pendent?" 

"I'm wearing it." 

She nodded approvingly. "Excellent. Let'z go now." And she stepped back into the tunnel in the wall, signaling Duo to follow her. 

***** 

Swiftly, they navigated towards the area where Heero was supposed to be. Duo's mind was in a muddle, torn between saving Heero then escaping, and his father. He knew his lover was the priority in his life, and that he would do anything to be with him, but his father… he was all his father had left after his mother died. He was a king of a large and prosperous kingdom, yet Duo was sure he mattered more to Trieze. However… 

He shook off that line of thought as they neared a dead end. Harle continued towards the blind alley, sprinting even faster. The prince was already having problems catching up. Finally, they stopped at the end. As he stood there panting, trying hard to catch his breath, the harlequin peeked through a tiny peek hole at the side of the wall, as though she had no part in running that long distance from the West Tower to the East Tower. 

***** 

Heero growled low in his throat, all the while glaring daggers at the two women. He was being locked up in a small cage fit only for an animal, barely enough to let him stand straight. In addition, the cage was spelled with bolts of energy running through the bars, which made it impossible for him to even touch them. 

How dare they subject him to such unjust treatment! To Duo! Couldn't they see that he and Duo were truly in love, and nothing would stop them from getting together? 

Disregarding his glares and scowls, the two sorceresses stood vigilantly near him. Hirde snubbed him every chance she had, while Relena just mocked him silently with her smug looks, occasionally vocalizing a few of her snide remarks. Heero wanted to tear their guts out and feed them to the dragons, although he suspected the animals would die of food poisoning. 

"Stop dreaming, commoner! Duo does not love you! How could he? He's the handsome prince, heir to the Kingdom of OZ. He is meant for greater things in his life, things you will never even think of." The dark haired witch chided spitefully, circling Heero's cage like a predator on the loose. "He was… in love with love, because… he's lonely. So he took the only person available, which, so unfortunately, was you. But that will stop from tomorrow onwards, because I'll be there for him. After tonight, he will remember naught of you! I'll make sure of that!" She ended, laughing maliciously. 

The other sorceress merely looked on, shaking her head. "Really, I would have thought Duo to have better taste. Choosing a commoner to warm his bed? A woodcutter, no less! But, like Hirde said, poor Duo didn't have much of a choice." She frowned, voice dripping with pity. 

They continued their gloating, rubbing salt to Heero's wounds. But amidst their crude remarks, the Asian boy noticed something peeking out from a wall, and was completely intrigued. Before he knew what was happening, the wall opened up and an obscure figure hurled two glass bottles towards the two sorceresses. The bottle smashed onto their bodies, and they collapsed suddenly with a fallen cry. 

Heero gasped, and looked up at his rescuer. Somehow, he wasn't all that surprised to find Harle coming towards him. But the other figure following her shocked him. "Duo!?" 

The said boy dashed towards him, his face revealing a myriad of emotions. Happiness… comfort… contentment… and love… Yes, love was the most palpable expression, shining in his eyes. "Heero!" He called, relieved that his love was unhurt. But he felt a tug on his arm that pulled him back forcefully. He turned towards his sister, confused mixed with a hint of anger. 

"Wait." She answered, and walked forwards alone. Stopping a good meter from Heero, she cautiously reached out with a hand. Suddenly, sparks of light exploded out of midair and she hastily retracted her injured hand. Licking her burnt marks, she sighed, "Just az I expected. Zey," pointing to the two fallen magic casters, "had cast a magic shield around Heero'z cage. I can't get t'rough." 

"What?" Duo exclaimed, brows knitted. "Sis! Think of something!" 

The jester shrugged. "I'm not a sorceress or anyt'ing cloze to zat. What am I suppozed to do?" Her voice carried a tinge of impatience. However, all that edginess disappeared in a flash when Duo looked ready to cry. "Fine. I'll try moi best." 

Duo nodded, biting his lips. Turning, his eyes locked with Heero's. "Don't worry, Heero. We'll get you out…" 

"Aa." 

Harle took a step back, and retrieved a couple of silver pellets from her side pocket. Throwing with all her might, she shot them all at once. The pellets flew through the air like a flash of light, penetrating the shield with a loud sizzling sound. With utmost accuracy, they embedded themselves into the bars that held Heero. Suddenly, the bars fell to the front with a thud, and Heero quickly scampered out. He ran towards the shield, and shouted for his love. 

"Heero!" Duo cried, and fell to his feet near his lover. "Sis! The shield! Can't you break it?" 

"I shall try. But you two have to get away from it first." They nodded, and moved away. 

Harle, seeing that her weapon could only enter the shield and nothing more, decided to try another method. She stretched out her arms, and retracted them in a circle. Energy gathered at her fists, and she struck. "Lunar beams!" 

Crescents of energy burst forth all around her, and spun towards the barrier like boomerangs. They hit it with a deafening crash, and disappeared. "Zis shield… seemz to be able to absorb all formz of energy." She noted critically, then turned towards her charge. "Duo, try a weak spell on it." 

He nodded, and started to chant. Moments later, a lighting bolt zapped into view and promptly absorbed by the obstinate barrier. He grimaced. "What now?" 

"Heero, Duo, I want bot' of you to cast a lig'ting spell. Make sure zey target ze same spot." 

They both nodded, and went to work. Word after word flowed out of their mouths, forming a force field. Lighting sparks crawled along their outstretched arms, and at the same moment, assaulted the shield. Double bolts struck hard, but the shield refused to disappear. 

"It's not working!" 

The harlequin sighed deeply. "I have no other optionz, Mon Duo…" 

Hearing this, Duo broke into a dead run for his love. But when his body came into contact with the magic, he stilled for a moment, and energy pulsated into him. It was like fire, blazing into his veins. He felt a sudden numbness seep into his body, and he whimpered. Suddenly, he was thrown back harshly, crashing into the nearby wall, forcing the air from his lungs. 

"Duo!" Both Heero and Harle shouted, and the latter ran towards the injured boy while the former could only look on in agony. Supporting his shoulder, she frowned at the bruises already appearing on his pale skin. "Duo, don't do zat. It doez not work." 

"What else can I do? I'm not going to leave Heero here!" He lashed out, and shoved her aside forcefully. She fell back onto the ground with a little exclamation of pain. Duo ignored her, and ran back to Heero, falling to his knees in front of his love. His rosebud pendent fell out from underneath his shirt, and hung there like a pendulum. Heero, likewise, did the same. 

Looking at each other yet unable to touch, Duo felt more tears spring to his eyes. "Heero…" 

The said boy looked back, frown marring his features. "Duo… just… leave me here. You have to go." 

"No! I'm not gonna leave you!" Duo simpered, shaking his head in disbelief. 

Heero sighed, "You have to. I don't want you to remain trapped here forever. Go, and find your happiness outside." 

"No! I want to find happiness *with* you, because that's what you are to me!" 

"You don't understand, Duo. Relena and Hirde were right about one thing. You love me because… there wasn't anyone else. If you would… just leave here, I'm sure you'll find someone else. Someone better than me." Heero lamented. It was the truth, and he knew it well. Even if it hurt to say that, he would give his love up to give him a better life. 

Duo gritted his teeth. "*You* are the one who doesn't understand! I didn't love you because I hadn't a choice! I didn't love because I didn't know better! Don't undermine my love, Heero! Just because I've never fallen in love before you does not mean I don't know what love is!" Sobs racked his frame, and he glared through the tears. He was heaving heavily. "I did not choose to fall in love with you. I just fell… Love has no reasons, no boundaries! Love just happens!"  
  


Heero stared at him, albeit taken aback, but believed him. "I… I'm sorry. I just…" 

The prince hushed him. "It's okay…" Tears continued to cascade down his cheeks. One teardrop in particular, landed on his pendent. 

"Duo… I love you, but…" He shook his head in desperation. 

"No buts, Heero. I will get you out, no matter what. If I can't do that, then I will stay here. With you, and nowhere else. I love you." 

Bittersweet, Heero smiled and nodded. Duo smiled back, amidst his tears. 

Suddenly, a bright glow was emitted from below Duo. The glow was warm, cozy and… heavenly. Duo looked for the source, and was completely taken by surprise to see it coming from his pendent. Heero gaped closely, eyes widening. Before their very eyes, the rosebud shimmered, and started to squirm. The petals moved, and opened outwards slowly, but surely. Every moment was like magic. Finally, the rosebud blossomed into a fine golden rose pendent. The intense radiance disappeared, replaced by a faint twinkle. 

Duo, still very much in amazement, carefully cupped the 'new' pendent. "What… happened? I felt… safe in that light… just like mum's embrace…" 

Heero, in his shock, reached out for him. Gently, he gathered Duo's hands in his own, scrutinizing the rose. That touch snapped Duo out of his trance. "Heero?! How did you get out?" 

In response, the cobalt-eyed boy took a sharp breath. "How…how did I…?" 

A clear, dreamy voice caught their attention. "Ooh-la-la! Ze Desert Rose haz bloomed…!" 

Duo and Heero's perplexed expressions prompted her to continue. "Your pendent." 

"I know. But… how? I mean, how can a rosebud pendent bloom? And the shield?" 

She smiled slyly. "Zis pendent… iz a treasure of your mot'er, Zechs'. It iz a charm zat can negate all spells, including death spells." 

"My mother's!?" 

"Yes. Zechs pazzed it to me before he…" Harle faltered for a moment, unsure of how to phrase it. "…died." 

"But why did it just… bloomed now and not before?" Heero asked. 

"Ze Desert Rose containz multitudes of unimaginable powers. It iz usually worn for protection. The only thing zat will trigger it iz intenze fear… or passionate, genuine love." She smirked, looking at the couple before her. "When you t'ought zat Heero could not escape wit' us, your passion touched it." She looked at Duo, then added, "So did you, Heero, when you were willing to let Duo escape and find happiness." 

Duo and Heero gazed at each other, and smiled. Without another word, Heero pulled Duo close to him, hands running up and down, as though to convince himself his lover was unhurt. 

"I know you two are happy, but now iz not ze time to rejoice. We have to meet up wit' ze others and get out of zis castle." Harle interrupted, and the two had the decency to blush. They quickly stood up, waiting for further instructions. 

The harlequin signaled to them to follow her back into the tunnel from which she and Duo had come from. 

***** 

Quatre looked around his room one last time, hands grabbing his meager possessions to him tightly. 

'I suppose I'll never see this place again.' He lamented. Even though this place had him imprisoned for years, there had been good times as well. He would miss the castle. 

With a sigh, he stepped back into the tunnel and the wall closed up. 

***** 

Running into his room, Trowa immediately headed for his closet. He grabbed a small bag, and hastily stuffed a few articles of clothing inside. He didn't forget to take a few weapons and healing potions either. 

Feeling pretty sure that he had enough, he turned to leave. Standing in front of the bright tunnel, he suddenly remembered. He quickly went to his desk and pulled out the drawer. An emerald, dagger-shaped pendent lay there quietly. Trowa looked at it for a moment, mind reminiscing. It was a Christmas present from his parents, back when they had been alive. Specially made, there were only two of the pendent. One for him, and one for his sister. However, the peaceful days were shattered when bandits stormed into the village, pillaging and killing everyone. His parents and friends were not spared. As luck would have for him, Queen Zechs of the OZ kingdom had been in the area, and he led his bodyguards and chased the outlaws away. However, they had arrived too late, and most of the villagers were already dead or half-dead. The guilty-laden queen adopted him then, and taken back to the palace as a companion for the prince. His sister, on the other hand, was never found. 

Biting his lips, Trowa snatched the pendent, and fastened it around his neck. Without another thought, he ran back into the tunnel. 

***** 

Wufei had a lot of things in his room, yet he could do without many of them. With his bag in hand, he chose only his most prized belongings. A few clothing, some herbs, money and some dry food also found their way into his bag. Fastening his sword on his waist, he was ready. 

Hurriedly, he dashed into the tunnel. 

***** 

Within minutes, all three returned to the meeting point. The horses had nothing to pack, so they had stayed put. 

"Where is sis? Is she back yet?" Wufei asked. 

"No." The horses shook their heads. 

"Aa." A moment of silence reigned. 

"What's going to happen after we escape?" Wing asked, voice so soft it was nearly inaudible if not for the complete silence. 

Quatre frowned. That had been on his mind for some time now, but he had banished it, because it was unimaginable. He had been in the castle for far too long to know what went on in the outside world. Would they be able to assimilate into the lives of normal people? 

"We need to get supplies, so I think we have to go to the nearest town or village first." Wufei said, analyzing the situation. "Then, we'll have to find a place to settle down, preferably in obscurity." 

Trowa nodded. "We may have to leave OZ forever. Trieze should have second thoughts about bringing troops and looking for us in the other kingdoms. It could stir up unrest if the other rulers think that he is planning an attack on them." 

"Anyhow, we'll be far away from this castle." 

Their discussion continued until the missing trio arrived. 

"Iz everyone ready?" Harle asked, watching all of her charge intently. Nods. "Very well. Come wit' moi." She motioned, and ran into the sapphire door. The rest followed wordlessly. Soon, they entered a seemingly empty room. The only thing present was a pedestal with a sphere resting on it. 

"Duo, come here." She instructed, and Duo did was he was told. "Zis iz ze mechanism zat enablez ze castle to teleport itself wit'in ze desert. We need to change ze position of ze castle nearer to civilization now. Zen, by ze next morning, it would teleport again to somewhere else. Zat way, we'll have an advantage over Mon Trieze." 

The prince nodded. "So how do we go about it?" 

"Mon Trieze never expected you to find zis place, so he made it in such a way zat only you can activate it. I found it by chance, and constructed a tunnel here." She explained. "Place your hand on it, Duo. And convey your message to ze orb. Tell it zat we need to be closer to a village or town." 

This Duo did, and within moments, they were at the edge of the desert. Satisfied, they moved swiftly through the tunnels, finally reaching the main gate of the castle. Pushing hard, the gates opened, and they broke free. 

Finally, after five years in incarceration, they were finally free. 

***** 

Morning came and went by. It was late afternoon when the people in the castle begin to wake. To their horror, their prince and captives had all escaped without a trace. It was especially terrifying for the guards who notified the king, who did not disappoint anyone by putting most of the guards to death. 

"This is atrocious!!" He shouted, slamming one hand onto a table. It rattled loudly in protest. "How could this happen? Relena, Hirde, explain yourselves!" 

The two sorceresses sneaked a glance at the other nervously. They had never seen the king so consumed with rage before. Clearing her throat fretfully, Relena spoke first, "They had used sleeping potions on all of us, so…" 

"So!? You two are sorceresses!" 

Hirde squirmed. "Indeed we are. But we are not immune to spells of that fashion." 

"And what about the death spell on Duo? They must have removed it to escape! How!? You two had assured me it was unbreakable!" 

"We suspect Harle did it. She seems to be a magic user as well…" Relena trailed off. "…But we aren't sure yet. We'll try our best to check it out." 

"Get out now!" Trieze shouted, and the two were more than happy to comply. Once alone, he fell into a cushioned chair like a deflated balloon. Grimly, he thought to himself, 'My dear son… Father will bring you back here. I will kill those who led you astray! Harle, even if Zechs doted on you when he was alive, I'll make sure you regret the day you made Duo turn against me!' 

Sorceress Fantasia @ 3rd August 2002 

**Author's notes**: _Sorry this chapter took so long to come out! I wanted to write earlier, but a lot of things happened to me and my computer. Not to mention the devil's spawns a.k.a. teachers who are giving me hell in school. Hopefully, I'll be able to get the next chapter up in a month or two. _


End file.
